Wangiri Fraud:Wangiri fraud or “One Ring and cut scam”

Wangiri Fraud:Wangiri fraud or “One Ring and cut scam”is coined from two Japanese words –“wan”which means one and “giri”which translates to hang up. Wangiri fraud is committed by making random calls from premium rated lines, allowing it to ring once and then hanging up; so the number is recorded as a missed call on the prospective victim’s phone.

If an unsuspecting subscriber notices the call and assumes that it was a legitimate call, he or she may well dial the ‘missed’ number in order to find out what the call was about; The unsuspecting subscriber(s) find themselves listening to advertisement to subscriptions to premium chat lines, internet services, horoscope news and sometimes pornographic sounds.

The call rate to some of these lines is sometimes as high as N1,000/minute.

MODE OF OPERATION

The mode of operation of these scammers is to use a computerized system and make calls to thousands of people daily with just one ring. Anyone who calls back is apparently calling a “premium line”. The longer one stays on the line, the more the charge.

1. The Fraudster sets up calls to voice subscribers, but hangs up after one ring. This means that the fraudster isn’t charged for making the calls.
2. Curious subscribers see a missed call on their phones, and return the call, not realizing that the number is actually a high cost destination.
3. If the subscribers are on a flat rate plan, the service provider will be left paying high termination costs with no corresponding increase in revenue.
4. The fraudster shares in the revenue from the fraudulent calls.

Badeji Oladipupo Lawrence.   [email protected]