Phone calls from unknown German numbers after visiting Germany
I am not sure this is the right community, but my problem originated with me travelling abroad.
I've travelled to Germany about a month ago (and I am still staying there). About two weeks later I''ve been informed by two people from my home country that they have missed calls from some unknown cell numbers in Germany (numbers are starting from +49). I've never disclosed their numbers to anyone, but those are the people I call quite frequently (my gf and my father).
What could be the cause? I think they are getting scammed, but how could attacker get hold of their cell numbers?
EDIT: some more information:
- I've been to France in July and nothing similar happened
- Those missed calls do not coincide in time with me calling my contacts
- I am using an Android phone and I have scanned it with an antivirus - it did not find anything
- the only German application I have installed during my stay abroad was an official public transportation app
- I don't see any suspicious calls in my call history
- I am using my home network SIM card for roaming
As far as I can tell those are mobile numbers
This may be important: I have tried searching for the numbers and did not find any reports about those exact numbers. BUT all of them start with the same digits: +49176, followed by eight other digits, different in case of each call. I have found one source that says this is a prefix used by German o2 network (which, curiously, is the network I use here for roaming). I have found a number of reports from people who received unwanted calls from numbers in this format - some people identify source as German, other say that the number only looks like German but originates from elsewhere. Nevertheless, I find it a strange coincidence that the people I know have started receiving those calls - from numbers which start with German country code - after I arrived in Germany.
Best Answer
I can't tell you the reason, but I can tell a few things to do:
- You may answer a call if you are interested, but be aware of a scam.
- Never call the number back. It may be a scam, in the best case scenario, you will pay a premium for the international call.
- Do not worry. If there is any important information it would be delivered by mail or at least by email.
These 3 simple things work with any international numbers calling you.
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Why do I keep getting random calls from Germany?
If you are wondering why you keep getting missed calls from unknown international numbers, it is because someone somewhere is trying to scam you. It is called the One Ring Scam and here is how it works. You get missed calls from an unknown international number. The calls usually originate from obscure countries.Why do I get calls from unknown foreign numbers will they hack my phone if I attend the call?
And people wonder why they are getting such calls from unknown numbers in foreign countries. Let me tell you straightaway that it is a scam. You should not pick such calls nor should you call back on these unknown numbers.How do I stop out of country spam calls?
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In these scams, a scammer will call and hang up after only one ring so a missed call from an international number will appear on your phone. The scammers rely on you calling the number back in order to charge you a premium rate. The longer the scammers can keep you on the phone the more you are charged for the call.How to Survive the Phone Call from Germany - Learn German
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
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