One-ring and premium-rate calls

What you'll get from this chapter: Why a single missed call from an unfamiliar number can cost you money, and how to keep those charges off your phone bill.

Part III: Smartphone Survival Kit · Chapter 5 of 14

Last reviewed: October 18, 2026

The phone rings once and stops. The missed call is the product, because the money is in the call back.

This is called a one-ring scam, and in some countries it is called wangiri. An automatic dialer rings just long enough to show a missed call, often from an international number. When you call back, you reach a premium-rate line. A premium-rate number charges far more than a normal call, sometimes many dollars per minute, and the criminal shares that fee. The call can look local until you notice the country code.

You do not need to call back to “clear” a missed call. If the number matters, the person will leave a voicemail or you will already have them saved. Check the phone bill once a month for international charges you do not recognize.

Scam calls try to get money out of you. Malware tries to get data out of your phone. The next chapter covers malware and spyware.