"One-Ring" Phone Scam Taking a Toll on Seniors

I shouldn't be surprised. I know better. This sort of thing shouldn't make me mad. Alas...

The "One-Ring Scam," as it has become known, is being perpetrated all over the country and seniors are increasingly finding themselves prime targets. In this newest deviant scheme, a cell phone number is called and allowed to ring once so that it appears as a missed call. When the curious owner of the phone calls the number back, he or she is connected a line which automatically charges a $19.95 international call fee and as much as $9.00 a minute after that.

Most of the numbers being reported seem to originate in the Caribbean Islands- Grenada, British Virgin Islands, Antigua, Jamaica. In places like those it is difficult if not impossible for local authorities to do anything to stop the scammers.

I don't answer my phone if I don't know the number. In truth, sometimes I don't answer the phone if I know the number. Seniors, however, are more likely to return a missed call. The charges are significant enough to have an impact on a monthly bill but in many instances the criminals are intentionally billing small enough amounts so that they will be less likely to arouse suspicion.

If you have a senior in your life who is relatively new to the wonderful world of cell phones and might be inclined to call back an unknown number please reach out to them about this. As is the case in many scams like this, seniors who find themselves victimized are unlikely to speak up. Our responsibility as loved ones is to be proactive in dealing with things of this nature. Let your senior know that they are not alone and give them the knowledge they need to protect themselves.