The scam, known as ‘wangiri’, is a common technique used by criminals to induce calls to high-priced numbers. – We have a missed phone call, so we will call again without hesitation. Let’s not do this, – appeals to Witold Tomaszewski, the acting spokesman of the Office of Electronic Communications.
“Vangiri” is a scam that involves making short calls from international numbers in the hope that the recipient will call. This term comes from Japanese and means “quick cutting”. Scammers call from abroad and hang up after one call. They usually do this during business hours or at night when it is more difficult to answer the phone immediately.
How not to be deceived by the “vangiri” method?
All the victim needs to do is call the indicated number automatically and he will face high charges. The longer you stay on another line, the more your mobile operator will charge you. Fraudsters have perfected the “catch” mechanism to such an extent that they can expand the connection. They are picked up by the machine and the caller still hears a waiting tone on the phone.
– This can mislead the caller and indicate that the money has not yet been collected, because the call gives the impression of waiting, while the meter is already counting – said Witold Tomaszewski, acting spokesman of the Office of Electronic Communications, in an interview with PAP.
Although anyone can fall victim to this type of scam, older people and those with family abroad are particularly vulnerable.
A call that lasts a few seconds, depending on the country to which we connect, can increase the phone bill by several or several tens of zlotys.
This type of fraud is very profitable for criminals because it is fully automated and involves a large number of fraudulent customers from different countries who are randomly selected by the system.
Do not call these numbers
Interpol found that the most frequently used international codes for “Vangiri” calls are from Moldova (prefix +373), Kosovo (+383) and Tunisia (+216). In Poland, this type of telephone attacks are carried out from exotic countries, such as: Somalia (+252), Philippines (+63), Afghanistan (+93), Mali (+223) and Azerbaijan (+994).
This action is possible thanks to the cooperation of criminals with local mobile operators.
– Operators, as a rule, calculate lump sum payments among themselves. While in Europe the prices for such settlements are low and regulated by the European Commission, in the case of EU member states, a minute of bulk calling can cost the equivalent of 1-3. zloty Scammers deal with local telecommunications companies and give them millions of incoming calls. Even if each of them lasts 20 seconds, given the large scale of this fraud, it brings millions of profits that local operators share with criminals – explained Witold Tomaszewski.
Experts warn that the scale of the problem continues to grow as fraudsters use increasingly sophisticated telecommunications systems. The only way to avoid losing money is to call unknown foreign numbers again. It is better to ignore such a phone call and delete it from your call history so that you do not accidentally call again.
– We fall victim to this type of fraud when we act automatically and keep our heads down. We have a missed call, so we will call again without hesitation. Let’s not do that. If someone really wants to contact us, they will call again, Witold Tomaszewski emphasized.
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