They want you to stay on the line as long as possible
When you call back, the call is diverted to another, more expensive number. The caller usually hears a waiting tone or a busy number, and in fact you are already charged for the call. You can also hear through the handset that you have won a prize and you have to wait on the line to collect it, others just turn on the music while you wait. In the case of a call to an Afghan number, the rate is approx. PLN 2.40 per minute, and to Moldova - PLN 1.85 per minute.
Victims are randomly selected. Phone scammers often obtain phone numbers from data leaks and marketing databases.
Read also: "Biedronka will pay for your purchases" - free vouchers for PLN 500 are the work of scammers
How to protect yourself from the "wangiri" scam?
It's always a good idea to check which number is calling before answering the phone. The first disturbing signal may be the length of the number - Polish ones start with +48 and then consist of nine digits. You have to be extremely vigilant, because some exotic numbers resemble Polish ones. The area code for Warsaw is 22, but +223 is Mali, and +226 is Burkina Faso. In the case of more "exotic" locations, call costs can reach as much as PLN 7-8 per minute!
Another disturbing signal is the length of the connection - if it is very short, someone probably wants to cheat us and extort money. Such calls are often made at night.
Smartphone as a U2F security key. Secure your online accounts
The most important thing is not to call back. If this happens, hang up as soon as possible, block the number and report the situation to your operator.
So, if you see a foreign number on your phone screen and don't expect a contact from a person abroad, ignore the call. It is best to delete such a missed call from the phone history so as not to call back by accident.
