Are Silent Calls Dangerous? Possible Risks

You get a call from an unknown phone number. Could it be a crucial call from the doctor’s office? Perhaps the pizza delivery man? Or maybe it’s a professional scammer, just hoping you pick up. You answer and hear silence. Then, they hang up. Why would someone call and say nothing? 

Not all silent calls are dangerous, but they can be a good indicator that a fraudster is at work. Read on to explore the reason behind silent calls and how to avoid scam attempts. 

What Is a Silent Call? 

A silent call occurs when someone calls you from an unknown number but says nothing when you answer. Therefore, the call is silent. 

Reasons Behind Silent Calls

There are two main reasons you might receive a silent call. One is dangerous, and the other is much less so. 

Phone Fraud 

This is the dangerous side of silent phone calls. Cybercriminals might utilize the silent call strategy rather than robocalls to confirm whether or not your phone number is actively in use. They do this by calling, saying nothing, and hoping you provide a sign of life. This could be words or simple breathing/coughing — anything to confirm the phone number is in use. 

Whoever is at the other end of the line can sell your phone number to hackers who are interested in using it for identity theft, bank account and credit card hacking, or to perform further scam calls by adding you to a call list. 

Your phone number is connected to all online accounts you use it to create, as well as potentially your address, family members’ names, social security numbers, and more. To a talented hacker, all of this becomes available once they have your phone number. 

• One-Ring Scam Calls: Another silent call tactic is the one-ring scam call. This is where scammers and possibly telemarketers call you and hang up after your phone rings a single time. This is intended to pique your interest enough that you call the number back, confirming the number is in use.
  
• Spoofing: Spoofing is when someone uses a number with the same area code as you to appear like a safe number. If you answer, you again confirm your number is in use and can be sold to hackers.
  
• Telemarketer Blip: You may receive a less dangerous silent call in the form of a telemarketer blip. This is when the telemarketing company’s automated dialer calls when no one is able to assist you. Therefore, you just hear silence. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) calls this an abandoned call. 
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How To Stop Silent Calls

Nothing is guaranteed to absolutely prevent silent calls, but here are two things you can do to reduce the number of silent calls you receive: 

Join the National Do Not Call Registry

This government registry puts you on a list of numbers that telemarketers are told not to call. It should significantly reduce the number of telemarketing calls you receive. If you join and still receive calls, you can report them here. 

Get a Second Phone Number

Using a second phone number app that comes with built-in spam blockers like Burner phone in place of your real number can reduce the number of times your number appears online, therefore reducing the chance of it falling into the wrong hands. Try Burner today to reduce spam calls. 

Stay Silent on Silent Calls

The best way to minimize fraud risk when faced with a silent call is to not respond. If you don’t let the person or computer know you’re there, they will think the number is not in use and be less likely to bother you again. Stay safe, stay silent. 

Sources: 

Mornington Communications - What is a silent call? | Mornington

‘I keep on getting calls, but nobody answers’ – The dangers of silent calls | Capetown