Alert over Wangiri telephone scams in France: What is this?

People in France should avoid calling back missed calls from unknown numbers due to an increase in a scam known as ‘wangiri’, the European cybercrime centre Europol has warned.

The name comes from the Japanese word ‘wangiri’, which means ‘one [ring] and cut’. Scammers call the potential victim, let the phone ring once, and then hang up. They are relying on the curiosity of the call recipient, and hoping that they phone back.

If they do ring back, the victim is rerouted to a premium overseas number, and charged at a very expensive rate.

What are the signs of the scam? 

Europol has said that the scam typically: 

• Happens during working hours, or at night. This is to increase the chance that the would-be victim will not be able to pick up the phone immediately.
• Displays an unknown, international number. Sometimes this will include an unusual country code.
• Rings only once. The call is deliberately cut short to ensure that the would-be victim does not pick up.

Read also: Scams in France: watch out for these telephone prefixes 

How can I avoid the scam? 

Be alert to the scam signs above, and also: 

• Avoid calling back any unknown numbers, especially if they appear to come from a country (with an international dialling code) you do not recognise.
• Let your phone company know if you start to receive increased types of calls like this.

You may feel pressure to phone back a caller who you accidentally missed, but genuine callers will very likely leave a message, or call you back at another time. They are also very likely to let the phone ring several times to give you more time to answer, in direct contrast to the scammers.

It is also a good idea to ensure you are signed up to Bloctel, the government service that is intended to help reduce marketing calls and calls from unknown numbers.

Read also: Thousands targeted after phone numbers hacked in health scam in France
Read also: Bank call scams: why more people are being caught out in France 

What if I have fallen victim to the scam? 

Report it to your national police, Europol advises. 

In France, you can report scams - and check for fraudulent schemes to be aware of - at the websites signal-arnaques.com or cybermalveillance.gouv.fr. 

If you believe you have fallen victim to a scam, notify your bank immediately and report it to the above sites.