RECEIVING a phone call only to be met with complete silence can be an unsettling experience for anyone.
When you answer and say hello repeatedly but hear nothing in return, it's natural to wonder what's happening on the other end of the line.
Are silent phone calls from unknown numbers likely to be from scammers?
Verdict:
TRUE
CyberSecurity Malaysia confirmed to MyCheck.my that silent phone calls are most likely from scammers, intending to identify targets for various fraud tactics.
Silent calls are calls that are answered, but there is no response from the caller, and the line is disconnected after a while.
CyberSecurity Malaysia chief executive officer Datuk Dr Amirudin Abdul Wahab said the main purpose is to confirm whether a phone number is still active and owned by an individual.
"If the victim answers, the number will be added to a target list and subsequently sold or used for further fraud," he said.
Scammers may also use silent calls to test victim responses and gauge whether they are vulnerable to follow-up communications.
This may be in the form of SMS messages that prompt action, such as "Your account will be suspended, please contact this number" or "Please confirm the transaction by clicking the following link".
"There are also cases where after a silent call, victims receive WhatsApp messages with the same modus operandi such as fake links, job offers and bank notifications," Amirudin said.
After receiving silent calls several times, victims may also receive actual calls from other numbers with fraudsters impersonating bank representatives, courier companies, the Inland Revenue Board, or government agencies.
"Sometimes, numbers are spoofed to make them look like local numbers," he added.
Another purpose of silent calls is to collect metadata, with calls sometimes being recorded to identify background sounds or the user's voice.
Amirudin said there are several differences between silent calls from scammers and unintentional calls.
Scam calls typically show repeated patterns from unknown numbers or different numbers with strange or overly long digit combinations.
The caller will not make any interaction after the call is answered, and there is no background sound either, but the call will not be disconnected.
This differs from unintentional calls, where background sounds will usually be heard or the call will be disconnected quickly once the caller realises a call has been made.
"In addition, there are suspicious follow-ups, which are that after a silent call, victims will usually receive another call supposedly from a bank, the police or the court," Amirudin added.
If unsure, silent call recipients are advised to immediately disconnect the line.
References:
1. https://www.mycheck.my/more.php?id=2482363
