Wangiri Voice Fraud: The Missed Call Scam
Have you ever received a missed call from an unknown or international number, only to feel the urge to call back and find out who it was? Millions of people fall victim to this scam each year — a simple yet sophisticated mobile fraud. Known as the missed call scam or Wangiri, these scams typically operate by dialing a large volume of phone numbers in a targeted area or market. The calls ring just once, and then the scammer hangs up, hoping that the recipient will return the call out of curiosity.
Once the victim calls back, they are connected to a premium-rate number, which could be anything from an international hotline to a premium-rate voicemail service. The scammer earns a commission from the telecom provider for each minute the victim stays on the line.
These scams are simple yet highly effective, exploiting the victim’s curiosity and fear of missing out. What makes the scam especially deceptive is that the victim is unaware of the steep charges until their phone bill arrives, often revealing significant costs for calls they never intended to make.
How Wangiri Works - Execution of the Scam Calls
Wangiri is a Japanese term meaning "one ring and cut", a specific type of International Revenue Share Fraud (IRSF), focusing on inducing a callback to premium rate numbers.
Fraudsters exploit networks and technology, such as auto-dialers and international premium-rate numbers (IPRNs), to carry out their scams. Using auto-dialers, they place thousands of one-ring calls to unsuspecting users, often from countries with high-risk area codes. These brief calls are designed to spark curiosity, prompting users to return the call. Once the call is returned, high charges are applied, benefiting the fraudsters who artificially inflate traffic to these costly destinations.
A few examples of how Wangiri calls might look:
Caller ID Scenario 01: Unknown or international number
A missed call from an unfamiliar international number, like +44 7000 000000 (a UK number). The user returns the call and is connected to a premium-rate line that incurs high charges for each minute of the call.
Caller ID Scenario 02: Unknown or seemingly random number
A missed call from an unknown number, such as +212 6X XX XX XX (a Moroccan number). The user returns the call and is charged a high per-minute rate for an international connection, potentially incurring significant costs before realizing it's a scam.
Caller ID Scenario 03: Area code or number that appears to be local, but it’s a spoofed number
The user receives a missed call from a local-looking number, such as +1 (555) 123-4567. Believing it to be familiar, the user returns the call, only to discover it is an international rate number, leading to high charges.
Caller ID Scenario 04: A foreign country code like +49 (Germany), +963 (Syria) or more
The user notices a missed call from +49 XXX XXXXXXX, a Germany number. Believing it might be important, the user calls back, only to discover it’s a premium-rate number that charges excessively for the connection.
Wangiri Scams Key Trends: How Fraudsters Are Adapting
Wangiri scam continues to evolve rapidly and is becoming more complex, with fraudsters refining their tactics to exploit telecom networks and victims more effectively.
- IPRN Abuse by Fraudulent Number Owners
Monetization via Premium-Rate Numbers makes it possible for scammers to profit massively from Wangiri calls, often without being easily traceable, as these numbers are often leased internationally.
How it works:
- Scammers often lease or purchase premium-rate international numbers (IPRNs) and offer much higher charges than typical international call rates.
- The scammer sets up an IPRN and uses automated dialing systems or robocalls to make a series of one-ring calls. These numbers are often set up in countries with high revenue-sharing rates or countries with little regulatory oversight.
Impact: Victims who return the call are connected to premium-rate lines, resulting in larger financial losses for them.
- Use of Disposable and Virtual Numbers
Scammers leverage disposable and virtual numbers to conduct Wangiri scams.
How it works:
- This tactic involves scammers using disposable numbers—temporary lines active for a short time—and virtual numbers, which are not tied to a physical SIM or device.
- Disposable numbers can be purchased for a short time and discarded, making it harder for law enforcement or telecom companies to trace them.
- Virtual numbers (through services like VoIP or cloud telephony providers) allow scammers to mask the actual origin of the call, making it appear as if it's from a local or familiar number.
- Scammers rotate through these numbers to avoid detection or blacklisting
Impact: Calling back a disposable or virtual number used in a Wangiri scam can lead to high charges, potential re-targeting, and a lack of traceability, leaving users vulnerable to further fraud and financial loss.
- Wangiri 2.0: Targeting Enterprises
A newer variant, referred to as Wangiri 2.0, shifts the focus from individual consumers and telecommunications service providers to businesses, particularly targeting businesses with call centers.
How it works:
- Scammers exploit business phone systems, toll-free numbers, or automated call-back services in an attempt to get the company to call back a premium-rate number.
- These calls can also be pre-recorded with messages that manipulate businesses into calling back or engaging in some kind of transaction that incurs high fees.
- Scammers can also deploy bots or scripts to automatically fill out online contact forms on company websites. These forms typically ask for a name, phone number, and a message. The bots insert a premium-rate international number (like +44 70…, +234…, etc.) as the callback number.
Impact: Businesses can easily incur large costs if they mistakenly call back premium-rate numbers. Furthermore, larger companies may not notice a small cost increase from these calls, making them easier targets for scammers.
- Seasonal and Event-Driven Campaigns
This strategy involves seasonal or event-driven campaigns to increase the chances of a victim calling back.
How it works:- Timing the calls to coincide with major holidays, sales events, tax season or seasonal promotions. For example, scammers may target Black Friday, Cyber Monday, or holiday periods when consumers are more likely to be distracted and less cautious.
- During big events (like sports games, elections, or festivals), people may be more inclined to respond to missed calls, thinking they missed something important.
Impact: These campaigns increase the urgency and curiosity of the victim, making them more likely to call back a missed number. By capitalizing on heightened emotions, scammers can maximize the effectiveness of Wangiri calls during these times.
Outsmart Wangiri Scam Calls with Intelligent Voice Fraud Defense
Wangiri scams are not just nuisance calls—they're part of a rapidly evolving voice fraud ecosystem. These phone call scams exploit vulnerabilities in telecom infrastructure, targeting subscribers and generating illicit revenue through premium-rate call-backs.
Neural Technologies’ SCAMBlock solution enables real-time, data-driven call decisions and automated active blocking of highly suspicious scam calls, including Wangiri scams, before they reach your customers. With AI-driven detection, real-time call blocking, and stronger collaboration between telecom operators and regulators, the industry can outsmart this persistent threat.
Key Features of SCAMBlock
SCAMBlock’s network-embedded analysis enables immediate detection and blocking of fraudulent calls, including Wangiri scams. This proactive solution helps telecom operators reduce the financial impact of scam calls by preventing users from calling premium-rate numbers associated with fraud.
Wangiri scams and other fraud tactics often evolve, using disposable numbers and caller ID spoofing to stay undetected. SCAMBlock leverages machine learning algorithms to continuously analyze call patterns, adapting to new scam strategies and offering dynamic protection that evolves alongside emerging threats.
SCAMBlock enhances user awareness by providing real-time voice warnings for high-risk calls, especially from international numbers commonly targeted in scams. This alert gives users the opportunity to make informed decisions before answering, helping to mitigate the impact of potential fraud.
- Personalized Call Filters
SCAMBlock allows users to personalize their defenses with a “blocklist” or “allowlist” of specific countries or regions, enabling both individuals and businesses to handle their call management based on their unique exposure to fraud risks, ensuring a more targeted protection strategy.
- Comprehensive Dashboard Monitoring
For telecommunications providers, SCAMBlock offers a real-time dashboard that provides insights into call fraud activity, including trends in scam attempts. This data enables telecoms to refine their anti-fraud measures and adapt to changing fraud tactics, helping to protect their network and customer base more effectively.
