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What is this new international ‘wangiri fraud’ and how does it work?

Tens of thousands of mobile phone fraud has been sweeping across parts of Africa and Europe in an unprecedented surge.

Calls, often with international prefixes from Switzerland +41, India +91 as well as Syria +963, are designed to trick people into phoning back at premium rates.

In Kenya, thousands have, in recent times, received missed calls from foreign numbers without knowledge that they are victims of an elaborate phone scam syndicate harvesting airtime from unsuspecting users.

How ‘Wangiri’ works?

The ‘One Ring’ scam often referred to as Wangiri, literally means “one and cut” in Japanese where it originated.

The scam which affects mostly Irish mobile networks sees scam artists using phone numbers bought on the dark web (where criminals trade in illegal goods and services) to dial phone users in other Countries and then immediately disconnect the calls to them.

The aim of the scam is to encourage those who see a missed call on their phone call back, after which they will be ripped off as they are charged more than user and the money goes to the scammer who makes more the longer a person stays on the line.

South African mobile subscribers also reported that they are receiving an increasing volume of missed calls from unknown international numbers.

The reports stated that the calls are from across Africa and Europe, including Guinea, France, and Belgium.

“Someone just told me she called back a missed call from Guinea and got charged R780 for a few seconds,” social media law specialist Emma Sadleir  said.

What are network providers doing about it?

Vodacom and Cell C said users will only be billed if they return the call, and there is no danger in answering calls from international numbers.

Cell C says it is unlikely that you will answer the calls in time, though, the purpose is to get you to call back.

MTN says it is monitoring these calls daily and is suspending the number ranges so customers cannot dial them. It is also working with carrier services and originating operators to clamp down on the fraud. It says subscribers should refrain from returning missed calls from unknown international numbers.

“Our investigation has found that some of these numbers are designed to prolong customers to stay longer on the line by a recorded ring-tone or a long recorded message,” MTN said.

It also encouraged customers to report suspicious numbers so the company can authenticate and block them on its network.

Vodacom also blocks numbers reported to it but said it can’t stop them fast enough.

“As quickly as we block them, new numbers are used. Do not return the calls of unknown missed callers,” said Vodacom.

Cell C encouraged subscribers to report the numbers to it on 140.

“Network operators are working to block these numbers as and when they occur,” said Cell C.

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