Better Business Bureau Warns Of 'One Ring' Cell Phone Scam
CHICAGO (STMW) -- The Better Business Bureau is warning cell phone users to be on the lookout for a new scam that could result in unauthorized charges appearing on their monthly wireless statement.
Dubbed the "One Ring" scam, a computer sends thousands of calls to random cell phone numbers, rings once, and then disconnects. Curious customers who return the missed call could be charged $19.95 for an international call fee and an additional $9 per-minute charge, a release from the BBB said.
Consumers who have been scammed report the calls come from the Caribbean Islands, including Grenada, Antigua, Jamaica and the British Virgin Islands, the BBB said.
"As yet, we have not had any complaints filed (in northern Illinois) but given how rapidly this scam is spreading and growing across the country, our opinion is it won't be long," Steve Bernas, president of the Better Business Bureau in Chicago, said in the release.
Cell phone users who think they may have fallen victim to this scam are advised to alert their phone carrier and keep an eye on their bill, the BBB said.
"To be as safe as possible, the best thing to do if your phone rings, and it's an international number you don't recognize, don't answer and don't call back," Bernas said.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2014. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
