Wangiri Fraud: Avoid returning unknown international numbers

Telecommunications giant Safaricom has warned its customers against returning calls by unknown numbers with strange international prefixes.

This follows complaints from Kenyans claiming to have received missed calls from unknown numbers originating from such countries such as Albania, Syria, Andorra, Azerbaijan and Qatar.

Apparently, when one returns these missed calls from strange numbers, the receivers on the other end will only redirect them to premium rate numbers overseas and have them unknowingly billed while listening to pre-recorded messages.

This type of scam is internationally known as the Wangiri Fraud.

According to an October 2017 article published by the Irish Times titled, Wangiri Fraud: What happens when you return a missed call from an unusual number?, the Wangiri Fraud “sees scam artists use 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 to ring the number, after which they will be ripped off,” further states the article.

Today I've received missed calls from +963 and +252. I don't even know which countries those are.

— Gini (@giniekay) January 4, 2018

@SafaricomLtd sa should look into this..i got several from +41, Albania amd god knows where!

— george kings (@geebrainking) January 4, 2018

Avoid returning calls to any unknown international number. ^RM

— Safaricom Limited (@SafaricomLtd) January 5, 2018

They make calls randomly, to random numbers. ^MM

— Safaricom Limited (@SafaricomLtd) January 4, 2018

Hi. Unless you have people you personally know in the countries where the calls are originating from, do not return 1/2

— Safaricom Limited (@SafaricomLtd) January 4, 2018

the calls as scammers will re-direct your calls to premium numbers that will cost you in airtime.^CA

— Safaricom Limited (@SafaricomLtd) January 4, 2018