Telephone scams are more popular than ever. Fortunately, the area codes of certain telephone numbers can serve as a warning to us about a potential scam.
Telephone scams can be dangerous. They come in many forms, but one scam has been particularly popular recently: the Another one.
As a reminder, the heights of this scam call you and hang up after only one ring. The victim therefore does not have time to answer and will rush to call back. Small problem: the victim calls a premium rate number and will therefore pay a hefty bill.
Fortunately, phone number prefixes can provide us with crucial information and alert us to a potential scam. Here are some things to keep an eye out for if you receive a suspicious call.
International numbers
This is the information that is most easily identifiable. Of course, this is not a general rule, but scammers tend to operate from abroad.
Therefore, it is essential to be able to identify an international prefix, if this is the case. A person claims to be located in Brussels, but the number code says “+389”? It is very likely that you are dealing with a scam.
All country codes can be found on this page. Here are some examples of international dialing codes:
- +32 (Belgium)
- +98 (Iran)
- +32 (Spain)
- +259 (Mozambique).
- +223 (Mali)
- +232 (Sierra Leone)
- +375 (Belarus)
- +389 (Macedonia)
- +08 (Southwest Asia)
Pay attention to the area code for Brussels
When talking about international dialing codes, scammers play on a specific similarity to deceive their victims. Indeed, some countries located in Africa have the code “+002”, which is, give or take one digit, the code for Brussels for landlines (+02).
Consequently, a person can be easily fooled into thinking that it is simply a Brussels landline number trying to contact them. The victim will then lower their guard.
Pay attention to the length of the number and the area codes
As a reminder, in Belgium, landline numbers have 9 digits and start with only one 0 (eg: 02.262.36.XX). For mobile numbers, we have a total of 10 digits (eg: 0475.63.56.XX). Furthermore, mobile phone numbers always have the same prefixes: 0475, 046, 0477, 048, 049, etc.
Generally speaking, it is best to be wary of short numbers, 6-digit numbers, or numbers that exceed 10 digits.
In addition, certain prefixes clearly indicate a premium rate call. It is therefore more than preferable to never call a number that begins with “070” or “090X” (the X represents a number ranging from 1 to 9). These two prefixes indicate premium rate calls.
L’application OnOff
The OnOff application can be very practical. For good reason, this online operator allows us to obtain a second telephone number. A welcome service, especially in the world of work.
However, as we might expect, the OnOff app is also used by scammers. These generate a number online and delete it once the scam is discovered. This therefore allows them to leave no trace of their misdeed.
Fortunately, the phone number codes generated by OnOff are relatively easy to identify.
In Belgium, a number generated by OnOff always begins with the code “0460”. In France, the OnOff codes are as follows: “06.44” or “07.58”.
The number calling you seems “normal”…?
In some cases, scammers use phone numbers that have no specificity. The incoming number then appears as any Belgian number.
It could be a spoofing of a phone number or a technique to redirect you to a scam. Indeed, through a simple call, the scammer can encourage his victim to call another number which will, this time, be surcharged!
In any case, caution is advised when you receive a suspicious call. Always take the time to analyze the phone number and never rush to answer a missed call. Similarly, if you are on the other end of the line with a suspicious person, cut the conversation short immediately.
For more details, you can consult our 3 tips to avoid being fooled by a Wangiri.
_
Follow Geeko on Facebook, Youtube and Instagram so you don’t miss any news, tests and good deals.
Get our latest news straight to your WhatsApp by subscribing to our channel.
