Protecting yourself from a scam that’s making the rounds again is easy…once you know how it works.
There are variations of the scam, according to Inc.com. In one variation, the scammers typically use a robocall autodialer and hang up before anyone answers. The hope is that the victim will be curious and call back.
Another variation – the robocaller plays a recording of someone crying for help, then hangs up. The scammer’s intention is for the victim to call back to try to help.
A third variation of the scam involves texting. The scammer texts that he or she is in danger, making it appear that the message was sent either on accident or to the wrong number.
The scam goes by different names – the “473 Scam,” “Ring and Run Scam,” or “One Ring Scam.” The idea is the same. The numbers displayed on the caller ID or sent as a text are likely premium numbers, meaning you’ll be charged for any calls or texts you make to them. They want you to call or text back.
One area code to watch for – 473. Though it appears to be from within the United States, it’s really from the island of Grenada, and several other islands outside of the U.S. The premium numbers are similar to the old 900 numbers that were popular before the days of the internet.
The solution – just don’t call or text back!
Here are all of the area codes from Inc.com
Here are the current international area codes within the +1 country code:
242 -- Bahamas
441 -- Bermuda
784 -- St. Vincent and Grenadines
246 -- Barbados
473 -- Grenada, Carriacou, and Petite Martinique
809, 829, and 849 -- Dominican Republic
264 -- Anguilla
649 -- Turks and Caicos
868 -- Trinidad and Tobago
268 -- Antigua
664 -- Montserrat
876 -- Jamaica
284 -- British Virgin Islands
721 -- Sint Maarten
758 -- St. Lucia
869 -- St. Kitts and Nevis
345 -- Cayman Islands
767 -- Dominica
Here are the U.S. Territories' area codes (listed by territory):
American Samoa -- 684
Guam -- 671
Northern Mariana Islands -- 670
Puerto Rico -- 787 and 939
U.S. Virgin Islands -- 340
Here are the Canadian area codes (listed by province):
Alberta -- 403, 587, and 780
British Columbia -- 236, 250, 604, and 778
Manitoba -- 204 and 431
New Brunswick -- 506
Newfoundland -- 709 (879 is being added in 2018)
Northwest Territories -- 867
Nova Scotia -- 902
Nunavut -- 867
Ontario -- 226, 249, 289, 343, 365, 416, 437, 519, 613, 647, 705, 807, and 905
Quebec -- 418, 438, 450, 514, 579, 581, 819, and 873
Saskatchewan -- 306 and 639
Yukon -- 867
Nationwide -- 600 (and possibly 622, 633, 644, 655, 677, and 688)
U.S.-Canada Numbers to Beware:
Area code -- 900
Also -- Canadian numbers that begin 976 after the area code (These can be like 900 numbers. The U.S. used to have such numbers as well. Numbers beginning 540 in New York used to also be premium numbers, but these should no longer be in service.)
