If Your Cell Phone Rings Once From an Unknown Number, Don’t Call Back

Here's a heads up on the latest huge SCAM. If you get a call on your cell phone from an unknown number, and it only rings once . . . DON'T CALL BACK.

Most of us already know not to call back a unknown number but your parents or grandparents may not. Scammers prey on the elderly so let them know not to call back the unknown caller.

Apparently, scammers in the Caribbean have a computer that calls thousands of random cell phone numbers, then disconnects after one ring. Here is the scary part, the phone number it's coming from looks local. But it's not, it's secretly an international call! And, if you call it back you'll get charged $19.95 to make the connection, then $9 per minute. Assuming you hang up in less than a minute, that's $28.95 extra on your next cell phone bill.

It's not entirely clear how the guys running the scam get that money, or what kind of tricks they're using to make this work, but the Better Business Bureau is on it, which gives the threat some credibility.

So, let your friends and family know that if a call come in that LOOKS local but is an unknown caller DO NOT CALL IT BACK!

Here is a link to the article on the Consumerist website for more details.