Are you getting calls that ring once, then stop? Don’t call them back!! It could be a One-Ring phone scam.
According to industry experts, there have been more than 100 million One-Ring phone scam attempts so far this year alone. The one-ring scam is a scheme where scammers make thousands of random calls from normal phone lines, letting the phones ring once before hanging up. They count on inquisitive folk or those anxious not to miss a single call ringing back the number shown on their screens
The One-Ring call scam was first noticed in 2017, then surged in 2019, with the FCC issuing an alert to consumers. This scam started from the West African country of Mauritania, with country code of 222. After the alert was released, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai tweeted “In addition to #robocalls from Mauritania’s 222 country code, consumers should be on the lookout for unknown, late-night calls from Sierra Leone (country code 232) or elsewhere. Do not call them back!”
Now, many of these scam calls originate in the Caribbean, where their numbers look just like any other US phone number.
What should you do?
- Never call back a number you do not recognize.
- Ask your phone provider to block outgoing calls to international numbers to stop accidental calls that could be costly.
- If you’ve received these calls, file a complaint with the FCC.
- If you’ve incurred charges from one of this scam, try to resolve it with your phone carrier. If that fails, file a complaint with the FCC.
- Stop unwanted phone calls for good! Sign up for teleCalm landline phone service. teleCalm blocks all robocalls or scam calls, and offers many additional unique features which help seniors with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.
teleCalm automatically blocks ALL incoming and outgoing calls to and from strangers in the countries associated with the one-ring scam. Calls to and from contacts in the Caregiver app will be allowed as normal, regardless of the country code. The countries are primarily in the Caribbean, and include the following area codes: 268, 284, 473, 664, 649, 767, 809, 829, 849 and 876.
If you ever hear about a new scam or fraud, one of the easiest places you can go for information is www.snopes.com. You can quickly search on keywords, and get information on whether it is a real scam, or just rumor running rampant on the internet.
Other great resources are:
AARP Fraud Watch Network http://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/fraud-watch-network/
USA.gov
-Scams and Frauds https://www.usa.gov/scams-and-frauds
-State Consumer Protection Offices https://www.usa.gov/state-consumer
Federal Trade Commission Pass It On https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/features/feature-0030-pass-it-on
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau https://www.consumerfinance.gov/
teleCalm immediately stops all telemarketers and scammers from reaching your loved one over the phone. Find peace of mind for yourself and your loved one. Know that your senior is protected while still being connected to family and friends. Retain their dignity and independence. Sign up today.