Sometimes it’s best not to call back

Sometimes it’s best not to call back
19 area codes that appear U.S.-based are really international. Scammers that entice people to call back can charge the caller over $20 per minute.

Sometimes it’s best not to call back

NEW YORK – Feb. 4, 2014 – Forbes warned consumers about a scam that involves calls from certain area codes, such as 473 and 809.

The scam works like this: A call comes from an area code such as 473, but the phone only rings once and then disconnects. Some recipients may be curious enough to call back, including Realtors who follow up on all leads. Once the call is returned, a robocaller answering system emits a groaning noise that makes it sound like the person on the other end is in distress, and then it hangs up. Worried about the person on the other end of the line, the caller may be tempted to call back yet again.

But while area codes such as 473 appear to be domestic, they are from the islands of Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinque, which share the United States’ country code – 1.

But these calls are international, meaning they can quickly add up on a phone bill. And it’s not just the rate; the scammers can sometimes create a phone number that the victim sees on his or her caller ID as a “premium service,” which means the rate can exceed $20 for the first minute.

Forbes.com warns businesses to be cautious about calls coming from some of the following area codes, which are international calls and have a high incidence of “one ring,” “ring and run,” or “dial and disconnect” scams:

242
441
784
246
473
809
829
849
264
649
868
268
664
876
284
758
869
345
767

“Ring and run” scams were a hot topic years ago before the proliferation of the Internet and cell phones when scammers would try to get people to return a phone number with a “900” area code. When in doubt, let a call go to voicemail where the caller can leave a message identifying himself.

Source: “Don’t Return Calls From These Area Codes. It’s a Scam,” Forbes.com (Feb. 1, 2014)

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