Wangiri is a type of telephone fraud. Your phone rings once, then the call is disconnected. The call comes from a foreign number. If you call back, you will be connected to an expensive premium number and you could lose a lot of money. You could also get a text message asking you to a call back.
Safeonweb.be is getting more and more reports of victims who get calls from an unknown foreign number, especially numbers from Syria.
Criminal organizations will call and send text messages using a computer program to a random list. After a few rings, they immediately hang up the phone. This fraud is called 'Wangiri', the Japanese word for 'ring once and hang up'. The fraudsters hope you will call back and try to keep you on the line for as long as possible by using a dial tone or a busy tone. Without knowing it, you have been connected to an expensive premium phone number. Your phone bill is going up fast!
- Did you get a call from an unknown foreign phone number? Then don't just call back!
- Do you have doubts about the reliability of a number you received a call from? Then Google the phone number to see whether other people have reported complaints.
- Hang up immediately if you don't get an answer.
- Financial loss? File a complaint with the police.
- You can block calls on your smartphone via your phone application: open the phone application > choose call settings > choose 'reject call' > choose 'auto reject' > press 'add' > choose the number you want to block > save
