An unknown number calls you; you answer, but there is silence on the line. After a few seconds, the call cuts out, and the situation repeats itself later. Such calls may be the result of automated call centres, technical faults or fraudulent schemes. We explain why strangers remain silent on the line, whether it’s dangerous to answer such calls, and how to get rid of these persistent calls for good.
- Silent calls are often caused by automatic dialling systems in call centres.
- Fraudsters may use short calls to prompt a chargeable return call.
- Simply answering a call does not grant access to your bank card.
- iPhones and Android devices have built-in features for blocking unwanted phone calls.
- Threats, extortion and telephone scams can be reported to the Ukrainian police.
Why do people ring from an unknown number and say nothing?
One of the most common reasons for silent calls is — automated telephone systems, which are used by call centres, advertising agencies and sales departments.
Such systems are capable of dialling a large number of numbers simultaneously and connecting callers to available agents. If a caller answers but no call centre agent is available, there is silence on the line or the call is automatically terminated.
The British telecoms regulator, Ofcom, confirms that automatic dialling is one of the main causes of so-called silent calls — silent calls. Sometimes the system mistakenly identifies a real person as an answering machine and cuts the call short.
There are other reasons as well: poor connection, faulty telephone equipment, dialling the wrong number, or deliberate actions on the part of the subscriber.
A silent call in itself does not prove that you have been called by fraudsters. However, if you are regularly bothered by unknown numbers, particularly with short calls, it is worth checking them and setting up protection.
How fraudsters use short and silent calls
One of the well-known telephone scams is called Wangiri, or the «one-ring scam». The principle behind it is that fraudsters ring a number and quickly hang up, counting on the phone owner’s curiosity.
A person sees a missed call and calls back. If the number is for an international premium-rate service, such a call may incur additional charges.
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warns of such incidents and advises against calling back suspicious unknown numbers, particularly those with unfamiliar international dialling codes.
Another risk is the spoofing of a telephone number, known as caller ID spoofing. Using specialised techniques, fraudsters can make it appear as though the screen is displaying the number of a bank, a government agency or a standard Ukrainian mobile number.
Therefore, even a familiar operator code or organisation name on the screen does not guarantee that the call is actually coming from them.
Can fraudsters withdraw money just by answering a phone call?
A common fear is that simply answering a call from an unknown number or saying «hello» is enough for fraudsters to gain access to your bank card.
Ordinary Answering a phone call does not, in itself, give the caller access to a bank account, passwords or apps on a smartphone. Nor is there any reason to believe that money is automatically debited simply by saying the word «yes».
The danger arises when a person follows the instructions of cybercriminals: by disclosing confidential information, entering codes they have been sent, opening suspicious links, installing remote access programmes, or transferring money.
You need to be particularly careful if, following silent calls, you receive a call purporting to be from the bank’s security department.
The National Bank of Ukraine emphasises that bank staff must not ask customers for PINs, CVV codes, passwords or one-off transaction verification codes.
If the person you are speaking to asks for such information, you should end the conversation and contact the bank yourself via the official app or the number on the back of your card.
What to do if someone calls and doesn’t say anything
If nobody speaks after you’ve answered the call, there’s no need to stay on the line for long. You can end the call and check the number in the call log.
When calls are repeated, it is advisable to take the following steps:
- Please do not call back automatically. Especially if the call was very brief or came from an unknown international number.
- Please check the number. A Google search can sometimes help you find out whether other users have reported unwanted calls from that number. Reviews are not definitive proof of fraud.
- Block repeated calls. Modern smartphones allow you to block a specific number without needing any additional apps.
- Please enable spam protection. On Android and iPhone Built-in tools are available to filter out unwanted calls.
- Please contact your mobile network operator. If the calls do not stop or are received regularly from different numbers, the operator can advise you on the available ways to protect yourself.
Don’t rush to change your phone number after just one or two mysterious calls. It’s usually enough to start by checking your phone settings and blocking unwanted callers.
How to block unknown numbers on an iPhone
iPhone owners can not only block specific numbers, but also automatically mute calls from contacts who are not in their address book.
To do this in the latest versions of iOS, you need to:
- Open «Settings».
- Go to section «Apps» → «Phone».
- Find the settings for verifying unknown callers.
- Select a mode «Silence», so that calls from unknown numbers do not distract you with a ringtone.
Such calls will come through silently and will remain visible in your call history or relevant call lists.
On supported versions iOS The «Call Purpose Enquiry» mode is also available. In this mode, the system may ask an unknown caller to identify themselves and explain the reason for the call before the phone notifies the owner.
It is important to bear in mind that once the filter is activated, you may miss a call from a courier, a doctor or anyone else whose number is not saved in your contacts. You should therefore save any important numbers before switching on this feature.
How to block spam calls on Android
Smartphones with the «Google Phone» app include protection against suspicious calls.
To configure it, you need to:
- Open the app «The Telephone».
- Tap the settings menu.
- Go to section «Autodetector and spam».
- Enable caller ID for unknown numbers and spam protection.
- If available, activate filtering spam calls.
After that, the smartphone will be able to warn you about potentially unwanted calls or automatically filter out some of them.
You can block an individual number via the call log by selecting the relevant entry and clicking «Block» or «Mark as spam».
On Samsung, Xiaomi and other devices, the names of menu items may vary depending on the model, the call app installed and the version of Android.
An important point to note: the «Unknown» blocking feature in the Google Phone app primarily applies to hidden or unidentified numbers. It does not mean that all callers who are not in your contacts will be automatically blocked.
Should you contact the police about unknown calls?
A single silent call does not, as a rule, constitute grounds for believing that a crime has been committed against a person.
However, the situation is different if the calls are accompanied by threats, demands for money, attempts to obtain bank details, or systematic harassment.
In such cases, you should keep a record of your call history, take screenshots of the numbers, and note down the dates and times of the calls. If there were any messages or other evidence of fraud, these should also be kept.
In Ukraine, you can report a suspected crime to the police by calling 102 or submit an online report to the cyber police.
If you have already disclosed your card details, passwords or verification codes to fraudsters, the first thing you should do is contact your bank immediately and block any compromised payment methods. If you suspect that your SIM card has been cloned, you should also contact your mobile network operator.
