Dodgy foreign number

Bigbagofcans

Just saw a missed call from a +88 (Taiwan) number. Has anyone accidentally answered any of these types of calls?

Along with all the missed calls I've gotten from Bangladesh and Chad (the country, not the American hunk), I'm a bit curious as to what happens on the other end. Is there complete silence? Does anyone actually speak?

Exiled1

Don't ring back!!

RMAOK

Got one from Ascension island once - never answered it.

Bigbagofcans

Exiled1 wrote: »

Don't ring back!!

I won't. I have no business in Taiwan anyway :P

Muir

I got one recently, phone was in my hand but it called and hung up so fast I wouldn't have even been able to answer if I'd wanted to. The intention there is just to get people to call back.

If you call back, a husky voice makes a series of vowel sounds and it ends in a high pitched scream. Then the nightmares start.

And then, within fourteen days, you'll die in some horrific way.

Never answer the ring.

Mint Sauce

No harm in answering, as long as you dont give your bank details, or sign up to anything. Have ocassionaly answered, and just politly asked not to ring me back, not that it would do any good, as they are more than likely not regualted. But its nice to be nice.

Calling them back will at least result in a heavy bill from your Mobile operator.

Bigbagofcans

Candie wrote: »

If you call back, a husky voice makes a series of vowel sounds and it ends in a high pitched scream. Then the nightmares start.

And then, within fourteen days, you'll die in some horrific way.

Never answer the ring.

Sounds like a better deal than 'The Ring' girl gives - "seven days"!

Every week it's spot the international prefix, yesterday I ignored a call from Liberia. Presumably George Weah was looking for someone to fill his cabinet.

oLoonatic

just got a call myself, rang and hung up after 2 seconds. Another added to the blocked list.

TomSweeney

Exiled1 wrote: »

Don't ring back!!

+1
Also block the number, I must have ~100 numbers blocked on my phone.

Scotty #

Bigbagofcans wrote: »

Just saw a missed call from a +88 (Taiwan) number. Has anyone accidentally answered any of these types of calls?

Along with all the missed calls I've gotten from Bangladesh and Chad (the country, not the American hunk), I'm a bit curious as to what happens on the other end. Is there complete silence? Does anyone actually speak?

These normally only let the phone ring once in the hope you'll call them back (at a premium rate). Others will ring out and if you answer they'll ask about your interest in 'working online' or 'earning extra' or 'blue pills' or whatever the latest scam is.

Your number was probably taken in one of the several major data breaches at Dropbox, or Adobe, or Boards.ie, etc, etc!

You can check to see if your data was taken in any of these major breaches at https://haveibeenpwned.com/ adn they'll tell you exactly which list you were on.

Golden rule: Do not use the same password on more than one site!!

Bigbagofcans

Bigbagofcans wrote: »

Sounds like a better deal than 'The Ring' girl gives - "seven days"!

I didn't finish that movie, I'm too much of a scaredy cat. Seven days is a little unreasonable though, one needs time to get one's affairs in order. :P

I nearly killed a girl once in boarding school the day after that movie was illicitly watched; I've long dark hair and (it was someone else's idea, honest) while she was sleeping I tramped into her room with my wet hair hanging in front of my face making that sucking in air noise. I swear she levitated with terror.

Teenagers are evil. :pac:

orourkeda1977

Never answer a number you dont recognise

Mint Sauce

orourkeda1977 wrote: »

Never answer a number you dont recognise

Would you ignore a withheld/private? I know at least two people, and my self who have their landlines as Ex Directory, all of which come up as withheld/private.

EdgeCase

I ignore all withheld numbers. You can display your number or leave a message.

_Kaiser_

Mint Sauce wrote: »

Would you ignore a withheld/private? I know at least two people, and my self who have their landlines as Ex Directory, all of which come up as withheld/private.

I do.. if it's important they'll leave a message.

In my experience, unknown numbers are rarely worth answering out of the blue.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Mint Sauce wrote: »

Would you ignore a withheld/private? I know at least two people, and my self who have their landlines as Ex Directory, all of which come up as withheld/private.

All the incoming calls we receive from "withheld" or "private" numbers are genuine and from family and friends.
The scam calls all show a supposed phone number.
My own number is withheld and people have no issues answering.

Bob24

Bigbagofcans wrote: »

Just saw a missed call from a +88 (Taiwan) number. Has anyone accidentally answered any of these types of calls?

Along with all the missed calls I've gotten from Bangladesh and Chad (the country, not the American hunk), I'm a bit curious as to what happens on the other end. Is there complete silence? Does anyone actually speak?

I actually got a call from an 88 number today just after noon.

Anyone else?

Zorya

I guess ye are talking about mobile phones, but I still have a landline..crazy, I know. Every single day I get random phone calls that start with ''Hallo Madame, my name is Jerome/Nathaniel/Geoffrey (insert any other highly unlikely name for an Indian man here) calling about your computer and may I ask how are you feeling today?''
I used to say something like ''Whoa my goodness I think my soup is boiling over, gotta run,'' or ''You've just caught me rushing to the loo.'' But now I am so aggravated I make loud GRRRRR! sounds at them and wish I had a loud whistle. :mad:
Who the hell responds to these people's calls that they are so persistent and chirpy every day?

murpho999

orourkeda1977 wrote: »

Never answer a number you dont recognise

Why not?
They're not all bad you know.

mrcheez

Mint Sauce wrote: »

No harm in answering, as long as you dont give your bank details

Give them false names and bank details, great fun

"hmm I could swear I got the numbers right, can you repeat them to me?"

"oh sorry cat fight outside, didn't hear, could you do it again please?"

etc etc ... enjoyable hearing the gradual frustration on the other end

TheyDidWhat?!

Got one from the same 0088 number. 1.17pm

morebarn2

Getting lots of these calls lately.

Aleast on our landline.

Especially at 8.00 am☹️☹️

They vary between attempting to resemble local numbers, to withheld ones and right now to Calls with a German prefix. This was really annoying as I have lots of family there and so it could have been them.

I ignore them all. If it’s anyone who really needs to contact me I know they will What’s App or text etc. however we are both in our late 60’s and Husband will only use Landline so it’s irritating to have him rushing to answer the darned thing every time!

I can well understand how maybe very much older people would be taken in with this scam; particularly with so many families having kids living abroad etc.

gozunda

From the 'englishforum" about these calls

Numbers starting +882- and +883- are NOT from Taiwan. These are non-country-specific codes.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Networks_(country_code)

Note however that the prices to call these numbers can be very high - for example in the British Telecom price list rates for various 882 and 883 numbers ranged from £0.60 to £4.50 per minute.

freshpopcorn

They generally just want you to ring back!

Bob24

gozunda wrote: »

From the 'englishforum" about these calls

Note however that the prices to call these numbers can be very high - for example in the British Telecom price list rates for various 882 and 883 numbers ranged from £0.60 to £4.50 per minute.

The number which called me started with +8819, which seems to be satellite phone.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

freshpopcorn wrote: »

They generally just want you to ring back!

All mine want my broadband details or to 'help' me with suspicious payments on my visa card, never have they been attempts at getting a call back.

Had one this morning to our landline from a 'Dublin' number and it was regarding payments against my card. I strung him out for 15 minutes - as I had difficulty locating the card and reading the numbers on it - until I gave him an earful for his nefarious activities. He wasn't too pleased; poor Daniel Joseph.

Scotty #

Zorya wrote: »

Who the hell responds to these people's calls that they are so persistent and chirpy every day?

Lots respond apparently. They make millions.

Scotty #

morebarn2 wrote: »

Getting lots of these calls lately.

Most modern phones, android anyway, allow you to 'block by prefix' and 'allow by prefix'. So you could block all, and then whitelist only those countries you are likely to receive a call from. It'll cutout all the spam calls.

BeerWolf

Rang my work phone a number of times... Joke's on them, I don't bother having credit on my work phone.

Pythagorean

mrcheez wrote: »

Give them false names and bank details, great fun

"hmm I could swear I got the numbers right, can you repeat them to me?"

"oh sorry cat fight outside, didn't hear, could you do it again please?"

etc etc ... enjoyable hearing the gradual frustration on the other end

I often get an Indian one going on about my Windows computer. I let on to be deaf, senile, etc, I tell them I have windows in the house that are ok and string them along for ages. I got on guy so annoyed he told to go and f...k myself !!! :eek:

fryup

just wondering is there hundreds of these people on the phone constantly in sweat shops in mumbai getting paid a pittance to do this? with their cruel masters looking on menacingly??

mad m

Got a call from Iraq number. I hung up on it.

2 seconds later another call from Chad...just let it ring out.

Same main number but different area codes for Iraq & Chad

Purple Mountain

What benefit does the scammer get?
How are they making money?

gandalf

There's a reason I have my "cold caller" whistle beside the phone