Never call back to an unexpected missed call from an unrecognised number. If it was important they will call back later or leave a message.

Calls where the phone rings once and cuts off are often attempting the Wangiri scam. Calling back is either to a premium rate number or is to an ordinary number that plays a message telling the caller there is a problem and to call a different number, the latter number being a premium rate number.

A Google search for the number, using 020 3519 0760 or 0203 519 0760 or 02035 190760 or 02035190760 may give further clues. The CLI may even be faked or spoofed and not actually represent a valid or active telephone number.

Ian01 wrote on May 20^th, 2019 at 9:35pm:


It depends on your personality type.

As long as you establish that the number you are calling is not going to cost you anything and is not some covert premium rate or directory enquiries number then you may still want to establish who the call was from in case it was from.

However calling back all numbers that call you indiscriminately without checking out the likely call charges is not a good idea.

These days the majority of the most undesirable callers in overseas scamming call centres cannot in any case be called back because they have spoofed an apparently legitimate but in fact non existent UK CLI number despite being thousands of miles away in India (mainly) or the Philippinnes (only very occasionally where scams are involved).

bhaskar wrote on Jun 25^th, 2020 at 4:04pm:


Depending on the handset, you should be able to block both numbers from calling you again.

bhaskar wrote on Jun 27^th, 2020 at 1:04pm:


Ah now I understand.  Sadly not a lot you can do.

I rarely get spam calls on my mobile.

We have talked often about junk calls and outright scam calls presenting fake CLI numbers. These may have been international or just plain wrong (a number that couldn't ever exist, whether because it's too short or because its prefix is invalid).

Today, I received a scam call on my landline whose CLI was not only within the same STD area code, not only on the same BT exchange prefix, but a number the same as mine barring the last two digits. This was an automated recording, ostensibly about an order from a well-known online retailer.

It has been expected that as network operators begin to filter out obviously invalid CLIs (too short, invalid prefixes etc.) that junk callers will just move to presenting more potentially valid ones. In this instance, they have come as close as possible (geographically) to presenting a number which appears perfectly valid. And, of course, the recipient is extremely likely to answer the call as it's recognised as a number local to them.

Those whose numbers have been (ab)used in this way could find themselves in receipt of a call from the party a junk call was made to.

Surely it is not outside the capability of Openreach, Virgin et al to check that the presented CLI actually belongs to the user of the number? Particularly when the call comes from overseas.