Community Chat

[June222]

I had a 518 area code number call three times yesterday... I would pick it up the phone, and it would then hang up on me.  I did a reverse look up and it said it was a telemarketer.... But Why would a telemarketer hang up on you if you pick up?

Normally I do just not answer, but, I thought this one I would because of the hang up the first time.   any idea why the hang up so many times?

[Mominohio]

I was told years ago that often numbers are auto dialed and sometimes the first ( or first so many numbers) that actually answer are who they hook to and talk to, and the rest get dropped. 

Don't know if that is true but what I had been told.

[kdgn]

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@June222 wrote:

I had a 518 area code number call three times yesterday... I would pick it up the phone, and it would then hang up on me.  I did a reverse look up and it said it was a telemarketer.... But Why would a telemarketer hang up on you if you pick up?

Normally I do just not answer, but, I thought this one I would because of the hang up the first time.   any idea why the hang up so many times?

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By picking up the phone you have alerted the computer system that your phone number is active, it belongs to a real household. Whoever is running the system can now sell your phone number to telemarketers.

[curlywhitedog]

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@June222 wrote:

I had a 518 area code number call three times yesterday... I would pick it up the phone, and it would then hang up on me.  I did a reverse look up and it said it was a telemarketer.... But Why would a telemarketer hang up on you if you pick up?

Normally I do just not answer, but, I thought this one I would because of the hang up the first time.   any idea why the hang up so many times?

This is purely speculation but I have heard of phone scammers who call and ring once or call and hang up, either way prompting you to call them back.  The phone call you make may actually be routed to a place where the cost of a call might be exhorbitant.  I have gotten these calls as well, some on my land land and some on my cell but the one thing I NEVER ever do is call back.

Maria

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[dooBdoo]

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@kdgn wrote:

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@June222 wrote:

I had a 518 area code number call three times yesterday... I would pick it up the phone, and it would then hang up on me.  I did a reverse look up and it said it was a telemarketer.... But Why would a telemarketer hang up on you if you pick up?

Normally I do just not answer, but, I thought this one I would because of the hang up the first time.   any idea why the hang up so many times?

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By picking up the phone you have alerted the computer system that your phone number is active, it belongs to a real household. Whoever is running the system can now sell your phone number to telemarketers.

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That's exactly what happens, @kdgn.  It's not a reputable organization calling, it's affiliated with one of the ubiquitous scammers who only want someone to pick up the phone so they then can add the phone number to a list of "live" numbers.  And the list will be shared and sold.  That's why security advisors tell us not to even pick up the phone, much less engage unsoliciated callers.

[dooBdoo]

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@curlywhitedog wrote:

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@June222 wrote:

I had a 518 area code number call three times yesterday... I would pick it up the phone, and it would then hang up on me.  I did a reverse look up and it said it was a telemarketer.... But Why would a telemarketer hang up on you if you pick up?

Normally I do just not answer, but, I thought this one I would because of the hang up the first time.   any idea why the hang up so many times?

---

This is purely speculation but I have heard of phone scammers who call and ring once or call and hang up, either way prompting you to call them back.  The phone call you make may actually be routed to a place where the cost of a call might be exhorbitant.  I have gotten these calls as well, some on my land land and some on my cell but the one thing I NEVER ever do is call back.

Maria

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@curlywhitedog, You're right about some of the calls to cell phones.  I'd have to look for articles about this, but in some cases calls from certain area codes (outside the USA) will actually add charges to our phone bill -- if I remember correctly, just answering the call can cause a problem.  It's never wise to call them back.

[maryebrown]

It gets worse when the Election Season starts.

[June222]

Thanks for all the information...interesting.

[dooBdoo]

This is what I was thinking of:

"'One Ring' Wireless Phone Scam

The FCC has recently learned of a new phone scam targeting wireless consumers.

Some wireless consumers are receiving calls from phone numbers with three-digit area codes that appear to be domestic, but are actually associated with international pay-per-call phone numbers.  These calls often disconnect after one ring, not giving the consumer time to answer the call and tempting them to return the call.  If you receive a call like this and do not recognize the number of the incoming call, do not return the call.

If you return the phone call, you may be connected to an international hotline than can charge a fee just for connecting, along with significant per-minute fees if they can keep you on the phone.  These charges may show up on your bill as premium services.

This scam appears to be a variation of an old long distance phone scam that tricks consumers into receiving high charges on their phone bills.  In the past, telephone consumers have been fooled into making expensive international calls by scam artists who leave messages on consumers' answering machines or their email accounts.  The messages urge consumers to call a number with an "809," "284," "876" or some other area code to collect a prize, find out about a sick relative, or engage in s-x talk.

How the Scam Works

• Your wireless phone rings once or twice and then disconnects the call.  When the number appears in your wireless phone log as a missed call, it appears to be a typical domestic telephone number; or you get an email or voicemail telling you to call a phone number with an "809", "284", "876" or some other three-digit international area code.

• When you return the call, you assume you are making a domestic long distance call – as "649," "809," "284," "876" and other area codes involved in this scam, appear to be typical three-digit U.S. area codes.  When you dial the three-digit area code plus the number, however, you are connected to a phone number outside the United States, often in Canada or the Caribbean, and are charged expensive international call rates, and may be charged for pay-per-call services as well.  (For example, "649" goes to the Turks and Caicos, "809" goes to the Dominican Republic, "284" goes to the British Virgin Islands, and "876" goes to Jamaica.) 

• You don't find out about the higher international call rates until you receive your phone bill.

More at safe link:  https://www.fcc.gov/guides/one-ring-wireless-phone-scam

[silkyk]

Just set your answering machine to 3 rings and NEVER answer it again.(unless you can see on id that it IS someone you want to speak with) Tell all your family/friends to wait and then talk and you will answer if home. This way the telejerks can call and call and after a while they give up. Works for us! OH and leave the generic answering man that comes with the machine as your answerer. That way they have no idea who lives there and they know that generic "voice" and what it means. If you answer they know they have a "live one" that WILL answer the phone....they live for that! And yes they call a bunch of numbers all at once and if someone answers they hang up on all the other calls. And then call back again. So darn annoying.