Wangiri Fraud

Wangiri (literally, "One (ring) and cut") is a phone fraud that originated in Japan. The scam involves a computer dialling a large number of mobile phone numbers at random. The numbers appear as missed calls on the recipients' phones. Believing a legitimate call was cut off, or simply curious, users are enticed to call back. The numbers are either premium rate, or contain advertising messages.

Have you ever received a phone call from an overseas number which lasted only one ring? The wangiri scam is also known as the “one ring and cut” scam – wan means “one” and giri means “hang up” in Japanese.
Typically in such a case they’ll be paying to hear some kind of advertising message, or calling a premium rate (often overseas) number where the intention is to keep them on the line as long as possible in order to get the maximum payment out of them. Or, of course, both. In the latter case, the victim may be connected to a lengthy recorded message or held in a continuing call queue.