Have you recently received a call from Sierra Leone? If so, DO NOT CALL BACK.
The Federal Communications Commission says scam robocalls are targeting specific area codes in bursts, often calling multiple times in the middle of the night.
Dozens of Lamar County residents have reported receiving the calls which the FCC is saying it happening nationwide.
Officials say they think the calls are tied to the “wangiri” scam, where the original call is placed by an auto-dialer, and when you pick up, it disconnects, or a message may otherwise ask you to call back.
AT&T is warning its customers about the scam also.
“We have taken steps to detect and block these calls to and from our network. Customers should not answer or return calls from numbers they do not recognize. Please see our alert on this here,” an AT&T spokesperson said.
AT&T explains on its website how to scam works:
Your phone rings once and the call stops. The bad guy on the other end hopes you call the number back to see who it was or what it was about. As soon as you do, you’ll hear a recorded message that is intended to keep you on the phone, or worse, to get you to call back a second time.
For example, the message may say: “Hello … hello? … I’m having trouble hearing you. Hello? … Will you please call back?”
Every time you call, you will be charged high international rates or other connection fees. The bad guy gets all or part of those fees.
A new example of how the bad guys try to keep you on the phone is by telling you: “You’ve received a song from someone who loves you. After listening to this song you will find out who sent this song as a gift.” The longer you stay on the call, the more you pay. And the more the bad guy makes.
The FCC released the following tips:
- Do not call back numbers you do not recognize, especially those appearing to originate overseas.
- File a complaint with the FCC if you received these calls
- If you never make international calls, consider talking to your phone company about blocking outbound international calls to prevent accidental toll calls
- Check your phone bill for charges you don’t recognize
