My phone rang once and then stopped. Was that deliberate?
Almost always, yes. A single ring that cuts off before you can answer is the hallmark of a wangiri call – the word comes from Japanese and roughly translates to 'one ring and cut'. The entire point is to make you curious enough to call back. When you do, you're often connected to a premium rate line, and the charges begin the moment the call connects.
It's more common from international numbers, but UK numbers get used for it too. The simple rule: if a number rang once and left no voicemail, treat that as a reason not to call back, not a reason to. Look it up here first and see what others have found.
Should I answer calls from numbers I don't recognise?
There's no single right answer – it depends on your situation. If you're expecting a call from a new number (a tradesperson, a GP surgery, a delivery driver), answering makes sense. If you're not expecting anything, there's a reasonable argument for letting it go to voicemail. Legitimate callers leave messages. Scammers and autodiallers almost never do.
If a missed call worries you, search the number here before ringing back. That takes about ten seconds and usually tells you everything you need to know.
Is it safe to call back a number that called me?
It depends entirely on the number. Calling back a number you don't recognise carries real risks – particularly if it starts with 070, 09, or came from an international number you wouldn't normally expect to hear from. Those ranges can cost significant amounts per minute, and some are set up specifically to keep you on the line.
Before you call anything back, search it here. If the number has been reported before, you'll find out what it is. If it hasn't, at least you can make an informed decision rather than an impulsive one.
What's the difference between a scam call and a spam call?
Spam calls are unsolicited but not necessarily trying to defraud you – cold calls from double glazing companies, insurance comparison sites, charities, or market research firms all count as spam. Annoying, often illegal if you're TPS registered, but not designed to steal from you.
Scam calls are deliberately fraudulent. The caller is pretending to be someone they're not – a bank, HMRC, a courier company, a broadband provider – with the intention of getting your money or personal information.
In practice, the line can blur. Some spam callers use misleading tactics that tip into fraud territory, and some scam operations start by sounding like routine sales calls. When in doubt, don't give out any personal information until you've verified who you're actually speaking to.
My elderly parent keeps getting suspicious calls. What can I do?
This is one of the most common things people ask us about, and it matters. Older people are disproportionately targeted by phone scammers, partly because they're more likely to answer the phone and more likely to engage politely rather than hang up.
A few practical things that genuinely help: get them registered with the Telephone Preference Service at tpsonline.org.uk, which cuts out a lot of the legitimate cold-calling. Look into call-blocking devices – BT Call Protect and dedicated hardware like the CPR Call Blocker are well-regarded. And if they have a landline through BT, Anonymous Call Rejection can be enabled for free.
The harder part is making sure they know it's always okay to hang up. A lot of people feel rude doing it. It's not rude. Any genuine caller will understand.
I called a number back and got an unexpected charge on my bill. What can I do?
Contact your phone provider first. Explain what happened and when. If the charge came from a premium rate number – 09 numbers, some 087 numbers, or international numbers from certain countries – your provider may be able to dispute it on your behalf, particularly if you can demonstrate it was a missed-call scam rather than a service you knowingly used.
You can also complain directly to the Phone-paid Services Authority at psauthority.org.uk. They regulate premium rate services in the UK and have the power to investigate and fine operators. Your complaint adds to the evidence they use when deciding whether to act against a particular number or service.
Someone is using my number to make scam calls. What do I do?
This is number spoofing, and unfortunately there's very little you can do to stop it directly – the calls aren't actually coming from your phone or your line, they're just using your number as a display label. Scammers rotate through numbers specifically to avoid complaints landing back on them.
What you can do: if you're getting angry callbacks from people you've never contacted, explain briefly that your number has been spoofed and you're not responsible for the calls. Report to Ofcom and to Action Fraud so there's a record. The calls usually stop after a few days when the scammers move on to a different number. It's infuriating, but it does tend to be temporary.
Can I report a phone number to the police?
For most nuisance calls and cold-calling, the police aren't the right route – that sits with the ICO and the Telephone Preference Service. For fraud, the reporting body is Action Fraud at actionfraud.police.uk or on 0300 123 2040. They feed reports to the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau, and patterns across multiple complaints are what typically trigger investigations.
If you've been threatened over the phone, or you genuinely believe a crime is in progress, 999 or 101 is appropriate. But for the vast majority of scam and nuisance calls, Action Fraud is where to start.
Why do so many scam calls seem to come from UK-looking numbers?
Because it works. A call from a recognisable UK area code gets answered far more often than one from an unknown international number. Scammers know this, and number spoofing makes it trivially easy to display any number they choose.
That 0121 Birmingham number or 0161 Manchester number on your screen may have absolutely nothing to do with Birmingham or Manchester – or even the UK. The call could be originating anywhere in the world. The displayed number is just a marketing decision on the scammer's part. It's one of the reasons we'd always recommend looking up an unexpected number here before engaging with it.
I got a call saying I've won a prize or a competition I don't remember entering.
It's a scam. You haven't won anything.
The standard version involves being told you've won a cash prize, holiday, or voucher, and that you just need to pay a small "release fee" or provide your bank details to receive it. The fee disappears, the prize never arrives, and in some versions your card details are used for further fraud.
Legitimate prize draws do not require winners to pay anything to claim. If you entered a genuine competition and won, the organiser will contact you – they won't ask for payment or your bank details over an unsolicited phone call.
Someone called claiming to be from my broadband or phone provider.
Be cautious. This is a well-used scam format, and it's effective because most people do have a broadband or phone provider and can't immediately remember what their real provider's number looks like.
Common versions include being told your router has been hacked and you need to take urgent action, being offered a discount or upgrade that requires your bank details to process, or being told your service is about to be cut off unless you verify your account. Your actual provider will never pressure you into immediate action on an unsolicited call, and they will never need your full banking details to process a discount.
If the call seemed legitimate but you're not sure, hang up and call your provider back using the number on your bill or their official website. Don't use any number the caller gave you.
I got a call about reducing my energy bills or getting free solar panels.
Almost certainly a cold call, and possibly worse depending on what they asked for.
Energy bill and solar panel calls surged during the cost-of-living squeeze and a lot of them are still running. Some are legitimate (if pushy) salespeople. Others are using the topic as a hook to gather personal and financial information, or to get you to sign up for something you don't fully understand.
If you're TPS registered and getting these, report the number to the ICO. If anyone on one of these calls asked for bank details, card numbers, or upfront payments, treat that as fraud and report to Action Fraud. Genuine energy schemes – including government-backed ones – do not require upfront payment or cold-call you out of the blue.
How do I block a number on my phone?
On an iPhone: open the recent calls list, tap the i icon next to the number, scroll down and tap Block this Caller. On Android it varies slightly by manufacturer, but the most common route is to open the Phone app, go to recent calls, long-press the number, and select Block.
For landlines, most providers offer a call-blocking feature either built into the service or as an add-on. BT Call Protect is free for BT customers and works reasonably well. If you have a physical landline phone, many newer models have built-in blocking, and dedicated devices like the CPR Call Blocker can be connected to older phones.
Blocking helps with persistent known numbers but won't stop new ones. Scam operations often rotate through hundreds of numbers specifically because blocking is so widely used.
What is a wangiri scam?
Wangiri is a Japanese term meaning roughly 'one ring and cut'. The scam works like this: an automated system dials thousands of numbers in quick succession, lets each phone ring once or twice, then disconnects before anyone answers. The missed call notification prompts curiosity. Some people call back.
When they do, they're connected to a premium rate line – often an international number – and charges accumulate quickly. Even a short call can result in several pounds appearing on your next bill.
The tells are usually the same: a single ring, no voicemail, often from a number you don't recognise. International numbers starting with country codes like +373, +216, or +225 are particularly associated with this. The answer is always the same too: don't call back.
Does registering with the TPS actually work?
Yes and no. For legitimate UK businesses, TPS registration is legally binding – they're required to check the register and stop calling you within 28 days. Many reputable companies do comply, and you will notice a reduction in calls from businesses that follow the rules.
The problem is that scammers, overseas call centres, and fly-by-night operations don't follow the rules. They're already acting illegally, so TPS registration doesn't deter them. For those callers, blocking, reporting to the ICO, and tools like BT Call Protect are more useful.
Still worth registering at tpsonline.org.uk – it does reduce the overall volume. Just don't expect it to stop everything.
Why do some numbers show up as 'Unknown' rather than a number?
A few different things can cause this. International calls that fail to transmit a number correctly often display as Unknown rather than as a foreign number. Some corporate switchboard systems suppress the outgoing number by default. And certain VOIP setups don't always send a recognisable number identifier.
Unknown is subtly different from Withheld – Withheld means a number exists but the caller has actively chosen to hide it using 141 or a similar method. Unknown usually means the system couldn't identify a number at all, or none was sent.
Either way, there's nothing to search. If the calls are persistent and unwanted, Anonymous Call Rejection through your provider will block both.