Can answering an unknown overseas phone call compromise security?
I frequently receive single-ring missed calls from unusual country codes (+220, +232, +252) and toll-free numbers. Some people claim merely picking up can compromise your mobile. What is the real technical risk behind these calls?
Verified Community Answers (2)
Merely answering an incoming phone call cannot extract funds or hack your bank accounts. The primary danger comes in two forms: 1) Calling back a foreign missed number (known as a Wangiri one-ring scam), which routes you to premium-rate international audio lines billing $15-$50/minute, or 2) Social engineering where an impersonator tricks you into reciting an OTP code.
Also watch out for silent robocalls—automated dialers ping thousands of numbers just to mark which lines have a live human picking up, then sell that "active list" to phishing call centers.