Answering a phone call from an unknown number or calling an unknown number back could cost you a pretty penny as the "one ring" phone scam resurfaces.
Fraudsters call your phone, let it ring once and hang up all in an effort to get you to call back.
According to the Federal Trade Commission it is an old scam but resurfaces every few years. The FTC is warning consumers to ignore missed calls they do not recognize.
"You get a ring or maybe two rings and then it stops ringing. So you go to call back. Or, they'll leave a message about something and you go to call back," said Doug Fodeman with thedailyscam.com.
Some fraudsters even text that there is an emergency and leave a return phone number for you to call. You call back and start racking up charges because you have been rerouted internationally.
"Scammers route calls through places like the British Virgin Islands. They trick people into calling an 809 number, or 284, 649," said Fodeman.
Fodeman also says with today's technology the scam is even easier to perpetrate.
"All of our phone companies allow people to route calls so you get a call asking you to call an area code that is in the Untied States," said Fodeman. Once you answer or call back, "then you're forwarded to an international area code where it's pay per service. That means you get billed for that call and money goes into the hands of the people who tricked you into calling," explained Fodeman.
So why is it that a local call can be routed internationally without informing the person placing the call?
"There's actually a sad answer for that. All of the phone companies, Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, make money off of those calls that are rerouted internationally," said Fodeman.
He does say squashing the scam should be easy.
"The phone companies detect it. They know it. There should be a five second message that comes on that says, 'The call you're about to make has been routed internationally and there will be additional charges.' Period," offered Fodeman.
Calls to several phone companies for comment were not returned.
According to the FTC, the scam area codes include 268, 284, 473, 664, 649, 767, 809, 829, 849 and 876.
Click here for more information provided by the FTC about the "one ring" scam.