In addition to fake calls and there is another fraudulent telephone trick that is becoming increasingly common and causes high additional costs: so-called ping calls.
Ping calls, also known as lure calls , are a widespread scam that mostly affects cell phone users. You receive a very short call attempt that is immediately terminated. The phone usually only rings once. But that alone is enough to indicate a missed call to the called party on their device.
Ping calls: Rip-off when calling back
If the person being called presses the call-back button on the telephone, they run the risk of calling an expensive premium rate number , an expensive senegal phone number library satellite phone or a (distant) foreign country. This can cost several euros per minute – and the nasty surprise comes with the next telephone bill.
The Austrian Broadcasting and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (RTR) repeatedly warns against such ping calls. Since the end of 2021, the RTR has Particular caution is advised when receiving missed calls from unknown numbers – especially from abroad .
If you cannot identify a missed call from a foreign phone number, do not call back!
Don’t worry if you’re quick enough to answer such a lure call: the scammers usually hang up quickly .
The good news: There are several ways to detect ping calls.
How to recognize a ping call
- Single ring: Callers know that almost no one answers the phone so quickly. They rely on the person they called calling back out of curiosity or politeness.
- Repeated calls from unknown numbers: If you receive an increasing number of calls from unknown numbers on your company cell phone, these do not necessarily have to be ping calls. However, if you have not listed your telephone number on your website or on your business card, you should definitely take a closer look at the call. A simple Google search can often help you find out whether the caller is a customer or business partner.
- Numbers from abroad: If you recognize a non-Austrian/German number in your call list, you should consider whether you have professional contacts in that country before calling back. Calls from South America are most likely of little relevance to you if you only offer your products or services in the DA-CH region.
- Empty voicemail: The caller is deliberately making you curious. If someone really wants to reach you, they will leave you a message with further information on your voicemail – or contact you at another time.
- Automated announcements when calling back: Fraudsters often try to keep their victims on hold for as long as possible when calling back – and thus increase the cost of the call even further. If this happens, hang up immediately!
When it comes to ping calls, it’s better to be safe than sorry! So take appropriate measures in advance to protect your company from expensive lure calls.
How to protect your business
For companies with a professional telephone system,blocklisting feature offers effective protection against unwanted costs. It doesn’t matter whether you are call by scam callers on your landline or on your company cell phone with a VoIP app.
1. Inbound blocklisting of specifiedestinations
As a first step, it is sensible not to allow the bait caller to reach you at all. This way there is no risk of a missed call being reported. Therefore, create block lists for your company. This will prevent incoming calls from the destinations you have specifie from reaching you.
2. Outbound blocklisting of expensive premium rate numbers
The next option goes beyond blocking selecte estinations. It makes sense for companies to have expensive premium rate numbers blocke in talented employees want feedback general . This means that employees cannot call premium rate numbers or forward calls to such numbers.
However, there are also useful paid services behind premium rate numbers, such as technical support hotlines. If you would like to use such services, you can put the respective premium rate number on a list of permitte numbers. This makes it possible to use selecte paid services despite premium rate number blocking.
3. Creation of call profiles
Call profiles allow the company administrator to create individual block and VIP lists . Various destinations and premium rate numbers can be australia data blocke there, or specific destinations or services can be release. This one-time profile is then assigne to all company employees.
Conclusion: With block and VIP lists you are well prepare against ping calls!
Using block and VIP listings, you can protect your company from ping calls simply and effectively. The experience yuutel experts will be happy to advise you personally on the security of your telephone system – free of charge and without obligation! Contact us on .