CA warns Kenyans of vicious phone scam (Wangiri); How to Protect Yourself
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Communications Authority (CA) cautions Kenyans over the resurgence of the Wangiri mobile phone scam
Communications Authority (CA) cautions Kenyans over the resurgence of the Wangiri mobile phone scam.
The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has issued an alert over the resurgence of the ‘Wangiri’ mobile phone scam in the country.
Originating from Japan, the Wangiri scam is a type of scam that occurs when a scammer calls your phone and immediately hangs up before you can answer, tricking you into calling premium rate numbers.
According to the Communications Authority, the scammers play recorded messages to their victims so that they stay connected to the call while they (scammers) make money.
In a statement shared, the Communications Authority noted that it had received confirmed reports that the resurgence of the scam was slowly finding its way back.
The CA pointed out that the majority of the reports so far have come from scammers with codes from Peru, and New Zealand among others.
“There has been an ongoing Wangiri scam in Kenya that has been reported by users on various platforms including social media. The scam is designed to lure innocent and unsuspecting mobile phone users to return the ‘urgent’ international calls upon which they are unknowingly directed to premium numbers that drain their credit,” CA said.
“In Kenya, many of the calls have been reported to be emanating from telephone numbers with the following codes: +51 (Peru), +64 (New Zealand), among others. These telephone numbers are illegally purchased by these scammers from the Dark Web, which is a hidden part of the internet known for buying and selling illegal goods and services.”
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They urged Kenyans to remain vigilant and adhere to various guidelines such as not calling back any unrecognized international phone number and reporting to respective service providers if one falls victim.
How to protect yourself
Firstly, do not call back unknown phone calls from international phone numbers.
Secondly, report unknown phone calls from international numbers. This stops the scammers from getting more victims.
“Members of the public are advised to contact the National KE-CIRT/CC via the email address incidents@ke-cirt.go.ke or through the dedicated hotlines +254703 042700, +254 730-172700 to report an incident or seek advice on cyber security,” detail the communications regulator.
Thirdly, use caller identification (ID) applications. They display caller information and can be used to block spam phone numbers.
Examples of caller ID applications include Truecaller, Showcaller, and Hiya.
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