It’s an international telephone scam, and it’s targeting many people in the area. It’s a phone call that’s cost some people hundreds of dollars. The Attorney General’s office calls it the Grenada (GREN-AY-DUH) International Telephone Scam.
It’s a call you can’t answer. And one you don’t want to return.
“It stops ringing before they can answer it. And when they call the number back, they will hear some gurgling or static on the end. It’s almost like they are on an accidental phone call of some kind. There have been other types of obnoxious noises in the background. What is happening is this is an international telephone scam,” says Commissioner Parrell Grossman.
It’s not a new scam, but it’s one that recently resurfaced. And the Attorney General’s office received more than 20 calls about it this morning alone. Most people say the call comes from a 4-7-3 number. And when they call it back, they’re charged an international calling rate. But Grossman says it’s not just the 4-7-3 area code people need to watch out for.
Scammers are using other area codes as well.
“The best advice is simply don’t accept or call back telephone calls from numbers you don’t recognize or you’re not familiar with, because it’s likely going to be a scam,” says Grossman.
If you’ve been a victim of this scam, contact your cell phone provider. If they’re unable to help, contact the Attorney General’s office.
Grossman says cell phone numbers are private, and the calls are made at random.