‘One Call Scam’ Hits Middle Georgia

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – There’s another phone scam crossing the nation right now–
and this one is fairly easy to fall for.

It’s a pretty simple game these scammers are playing with people, and they’re hoping your own curiosity will land them a big payday.

They’re making bogus calls throughout the nation, including here in Middle Georgia.

When I asked Macon resident Jack Coombs for some advice, he gave it to me flat out.

“Don’t call back.”

It’s a nationwide phone scam called the “One Ring Scam”.

Phones all over the country light up with an incoming call for just a moment, leaving you with a missed call on your cell phone.

If you call back, they charge your bill immediately.

Coombs caught the call before it disconnected, and knew not to call back.

“I received a call, which, there was no one there on the line. There was no noise. And after a short period of time, they hang up,” said Coombs.

Kelvin Collins is the President and CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Central Georgia, and he says he’s received more than 20 complaint calls from people who received the one-ring call.

“The cell phone companies are pretty good about once you bring it to their attention they will get the calls reversed–the charges reversed,” said Collins.

Collins says most of the calls come from down in the Carribean.

His advice? Take a careful look at your phone bill.

“A lot of people don’t look at their phone bills every month,” said Collins. “And sometimes they have them automatically drafted out of their bank account, so therefore they may not see it until it’s already paid.”

And if you do receive a call from an odd number, remember Coombs advice: don’t call back.

Coombs also thought having caller ID is what really helped him.

He said he has it on his home phone, and advises everyone to use it.

If you think you have been affected by this scam, be sure to call your phone provider and check your bill to have the charges removed.