Warning of losing money from 'nothing' calls

The Information Security Department (Ministry of Information and Communications) said on February 24 that it has recently received many reports about users receiving calls from strange numbers, but only "beeping" and then hanging up, or when they pick up the phone, the other end of the line does not say anything.

"The cause could be a technical error, but it could also be a 'bait call', intended to pique curiosity and get people to call back," the bureau said. In the case of a bait call, the caller may be charged unusually high telecommunications charges even though they do not receive any information from the other end of the line.

According to experts, this trick was popular in the US and European countries in the last decade, and is returning and appearing in Vietnam. The experts of the agency said that they often use a device to automatically make a series of calls on a large scale, to millions of random mobile phone numbers around the world. This method hits the psychology and habits of many users, which is to call back missed calls.

With the trend of communicating via phone becoming more and more popular, especially online shoppers who often do not want to miss calls from strange numbers, the call recipient can become a victim without knowing it.

"They not only cause trouble and confusion for users, but also cause them to lose money in their telecommunications accounts," the department said. In addition, scammers use fake numbers to make users mistakenly think they are regular domestic calls with low fees, but in fact, calls to numbers charge from a few thousand to tens of thousands of dong.

"Most phone numbers are very difficult to identify, because they are similar to phone area codes in some places in Vietnam," the department assessed.

According to a security expert, the cost of calling a landline overseas is very expensive, some charge as soon as the call rings, without ever connecting to an operator. The network operator does not keep all of this fee but can give the business a discount, for example 25 - 40% of the call revenue.

Experts warn that scams via social networks and the Internet are becoming increasingly sophisticated, not only limited to the online environment but also expanding to phone calls with many unpredictable tricks.

"If people receive a call from a phone number that is not a regular landline or mobile number, or is not related to any organization or unit, they need to be absolutely vigilant, not listen to and follow the instructions of strangers," the department recommends.