FCC warns users not to call them back

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This late-night phone call you just received is equivalent to a ringtone – do not call back.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has alerted consumers about a new wave of automated calls "One Ring" after "widespread night calls" in the states of New York and Arizona.

These recent "One Ring" calls are trying to entice consumers to call back the number, which may result in toll charges billed as if you were calling a 900 number. The calls are also known as "Wangiri" – the term means "a ringtone and is played" in Japanese, so tagged after the scam that took place years ago.

Callers generally call specific area codes repeatedly, often late at night. According to the FCC, the latest wave of calls uses the country code "222" of Mauritania, a country in West Africa. "This is a worrying trend and consumers should not be reminded if they receive such calls," said Deputy Press Critic Will Wiquist.

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Other officials have resorted to Twitter to warn consumers. Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich tweeted this week about automated calls saying, "DO NOT call back." The scammers hope you will call back in order to be able to afford the cost of this expensive phone call. "

Does anyone else have a lot of random calls today? Unless you have family in Mauritania or other exotic locations, it is best to ignore these unsolicited calls. DO NOT call back. The scammers hope that you will call back in order to pay the cost of this expensive phone call. pic.twitter.com/Sz0FMdXlro

– Mark Brnovich (@GeneralBrnovich) May 1, 2019

Similarly, the Sheriff's Office at Lafourche Parish, Louisiana tweeted Friday: "Many people in our area received international calls last night … DO NOT call back."

Many people in our area received international calls last night. This is what is called "One Ring" scam that aims to remind you, which results in high fees. Block these numbers and DO NOT call back. There are also applications that you can install to identify fraudulent phone calls. #LESM pic.twitter.com/v7UvtoKI8B

– Office of the sheriff of the parish of Lafourche (@LafourcheSO) May 3, 2019

This is not the first time that One Ring automated calls are proliferating in the United States. Another wave struck three years ago; in this case, the calls originated from area codes connecting the appellants to the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Dominican Republic, the British Virgin Islands and Jamaica.

In addition to not recalling numbers, the FCC has other tips for consumers:

• You can file a complaint with the FCC if you received these calls at www.fcc.gov/complaints.

• If you never make international calls, ask your provider to block outgoing international calls to avoid accidental long distance calls.

• Check charges on your phone bill that you do not recognize.

• If you are charged for a call you made as a result of this fraudulent transaction, try to resolve the problem with your phone company. If that fails, file a complaint with the FCC.

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Follow the USA TODAY reporter, Mike Snider, on Twitter: @MikeSnider.

Read or share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/talkingtech/2019/05/03/one-ring-robocalls-fcc-warns-users-not-call-them-back/3661967002/

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