Optus Scamwatch: Watch out for Wangiri fraud

Ever missed a call from an international number you don’t recognise? Whatever you do, don’t call them back.

What’s this? A missed call from an international number? Who could it be?

Buckingham Palace with a secret mission from MI6? A Hollywood producer telling you that they’ve seen the photos on your Facebook profile and now you’ve been cast alongside Hellen Mirren and Sir Anthony Hopkins in a dark and gritty remake of Mary Poppins, directed by Christopher Nolan?

Well, we’re sorry to burst your bubble, but there’s a strong possibility that the call is a scam - not that we don’t think you wouldn’t make an adorable Mr Binnacle.

That’s right, we’re talking about Wangiri fraud: the increasingly common scam that starts as a missed call from an international number and ends in a big bill and a slightly richer scammer.

Let’s take a look at some of the warning signs, and what you should do if you’ve been scammed. 

What’s Wangiri fraud?

It sounds exotic, because it is. Originating in Japan, “Wangiri”, which literally translates to “one ring and cut” in Japanese, is where the scammers spam random mobile phones with missed calls from international numbers.

The catch? The international number is costly to call back to, with the bulk of the expense landing in the pockets of the scammers. Plus, we heard the conversation isn’t even that great.

How do I know the missed call is a scam?

It’s really up to each individual, but you really have to ask yourself how likely it is that someone would try and call you from overseas. If you do have friends or family who might try and contact you from another country, try waiting to see if they call again.

What should you do if you do suspect the call is Wangari Fraud?

Don’t call them back

If you don’t recognise the number and strongly suspect the call is fraud, don’t try calling them and asking if the call is a scam (we learnt the hard way not to try it). It’s better to just ignore it, and if they try calling again, block the number.

Try blocking international calling

If you’re concerned about vulnerable family members - like your teenage children or an elderly relative - you might like to disable international dialing on the service they’re using if they don’t need to call anyone overseas.

Keep a close eye on your bills

If your bill seems unexpectedly high, have a closer look at the numbers you’ve dialed and where the extra charges are coming from. If you spot an international number on your call list that you don’t recognise, let us know immediately.

Let us know if the number’s up

If you suspect that you’ve been getting fake international calls from scammers, let us know and we’ll take note of the phone number and country of origin.

We’re actively keeping an eye on our network and shut down any new, fraudulent international numbers and number ranges as we find them. So, keep up the Batman-level vigilance, your reports could help stop someone else from being scammed.

Only who can prevent Wangiri Fraud?

Unfortunately, there’s no real, solid way to prevent scammers trying to scam innocent people with frauds like this one. But, with a little bit of caution and common sense, we can all help reduce their impact on vulnerable people.

Keep your eyes on the Scamwatch website, our own scams page and contact us as soon as you can if you spot suspicious activity on your Optus service. 

Find the latest advice about scams on our scams page.

Explore our Family Hub for more great advice and information. Or, if you’re looking for a way to keep connected and bring your family together, explore our Family Plans for generous data and amazing value.