CA issues a warning to mobile users about Wangiri phone scam

The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has issued a warning to mobile phone users in the country about the resurgence of the Wangiri phone scam.

“Reports indicate the return of Wangiri phone scam that occurs when scammers call your mobile phone which ring once and hang up before you can answer it,” CA charged.

The scam, which originated in Japan, is also known as the “one ring and cut” scam, and involves scammers calling a mobile phone and then hanging up before the recipient can answer, in order to trick them into calling back and redirecting them to premium numbers that drain their credit.
“This type of scam originates from Japan and is popularly known as ‘one ring and cut’ scam- wan means ‘ one’ and giri means ‘ hang up’,” CA said in a statement.

The scam has been ongoing in Kenya for some time, with many of the calls appearing to originate from numbers with international codes, such as +51 (Peru) and +64 (New Zealand), which have been illegally purchased from the Dark Web.
“The dark web is a hidden part of the internet, known for buying and selling illegal goods and services,” CA explained.

According to the CA, post-paid subscribers are particularly vulnerable to this scam, as they may not realise they have been affected until they receive their bill at the end of the month.

However, pre-paid subscribers can also be affected and can lose as much as their loaded credit.
“Prepaid subscribers can only lose as much as their loaded credit,” CA said.
The longer the victim stays on the call,the more money the scammers make.

To avoid falling victim to this scam, the public is advised not to call back any international number they don’t recognize and to report any suspect numbers to service providers.
“Do not call back any international number that you don’t recognize and if you happen to be victim,report the number to your service provider,” Communication Authority said in a statement.

The National Kenya Computer Incident Response Team – Coordination Center (National KE-CIRT/CC), which is Kenya’s national trusted point of contact on cyber security matters, is working with relevant agencies to detect, prevent, and respond to cyber threats aimed at the country on a 24/7 basis.