Russians are being cautioned about the increasing danger of “missed call” or “dropped call” scams, a prevalent form of phone fraud designed to exploit victims` natural curiosity and sense of concern. In an interview with RT, Igor Bederov, director of investigations at T.Hunter, explained that the primary goal of these deceptive calls is to prompt individuals to dial back a premium-rate number, thereby accumulating charges that directly benefit the fraudsters.
Bederov elaborated on the mechanics of such scams: “You might be deliberately kept on the line for an extended period, listening to background music or a recorded message, specifically to `run up` the maximum possible charges.” He further noted that these dropped calls serve a dual purpose, often being used to ascertain the activity status of phone number databases or to bypass existing anti-fraud protection measures on telecommunication networks.
The cybersecurity expert underscored that the most reliable method of protection against these insidious schemes is straightforward: consistently ignore any missed calls originating from unknown numbers. Alternatively, utilizing a voice assistant service that can screen and filter unfamiliar calls offers an effective additional layer of security.
This critical warning follows recent reports detailing an extraordinary case of persistent phone fraud. One particularly tenacious scammer reportedly attempted to contact a victim more than 17,000 times. This relentless barrage, targeting a Beeline subscriber in Dagestan, spanned over eight hours, with calls arriving at an astonishing average rate of 36 per minute.
Clement Ashworth 
Barnaby Whitfield