Many people often wonder, “Should I call back a missed call?”
We’ve got a strong opinion on this one, and it’s one that goes against the conventional grain:
People who believe that proper call etiquette means returning a missed call under any and all circumstances are wrong!
In short, the answer to whether you should call back every missed call is no. Opinions can be really divided on this. “What if there’s an emergency? What if someone needs you?”
Our opinion is that if the missed call is from a known person, they’ll most likely call you back quite quickly or even multiple times if it’s something urgent.
If the person that’s calling is unknown to you, it’s better to wait until you can confirm who they are (either via a text message or recorded voicemail) for your own safety!
There are several reasons for not calling back a missed call straight away, and we’ll explain them all in detail in this article. If you’re currently unsure as to what to do when you receive a missed call, we’re here to help!
Should You Call Back A Number You Don’t Know?
Sometimes you turn on your mobile phone and see a missed call from an unfamiliar number. It’s happened to all of us at some time, and we’ve all wondered whether we should return the missed call!
Always keep in mind that if the person has something important to talk to you about, they’ll very likely either leave a message on your voicemail or via text message.
If they haven’t done so, here are some things to consider when it comes to deciding whether or not to call back:
Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Call Back A Missed Call
Scammers
The first thing to keep in mind is that it could very well be a scam or other kind of marketing call if a caller has not left a voicemail message.
When you call back this kind of missed call, the caller will receive confirmation that the number belongs to a real person. As a result, it can worsen the situation and result in a barrage of calls to your number.
Many scams involve criminals calling random numbers, where they then try to get your personal information by talking to you.
For instance, scammers may fake their identity and try to convince you to reveal your credit card details or other sensitive pieces of information.
Even if you do receive a voicemail from an unknown number, exercise caution and don’t call back instantly. As mentioned above, scammers can fake their identities and pretend to be your bank or other proper institution.
If your bank needs to call you, it will call again or try to contact you in other ways!
One of the safety measures you can use is to Google the contact number of your bank by yourself. If the phone numbers given do not match, block that caller instantly.
Racking Up The Minutes
In another type of scam that actually sometimes runs as a legitimate business, unknown numbers might be calling with the intention that you’ll call back. They’ll then pick up your call, after which you’ll start getting charged per minute or second!
The person on the other end will try to stretch out the call as much as possible by talking about random topics or even not speaking at all!
So, always think it through carefully before returning a missed call as it can be a potential danger. Taking appropriate safety measures is your right and responsibility, and that always trumps any etiquette considerations!
How Do You Know If A Missed Call Is From A Scammer
As you might imagine, there’s not much danger in calling back if a missed call is from a number you already have in your contact list.
The problem arises when you receive a missed call from an unknown number, and there’s a good chance of it being from someone you should really avoid.
However, calls from scammers do normally have a typical, identifiable pattern or trait. If you take the time to think about it a little, you’ll be able to determine whether a call is from someone suspicious or just an ordinary individual.
Scammers worldwide use automatic systems to make calls via different numbers. Often the calls won’t ring for long enough for you to pick them up, and in fact, may be so short that they quickly turn into missed calls.
Additionally, many of these calls will be from numbers starting with digits that indicate a different country code from where you reside.
You’ll be able to easily identify these numbers just by looking at them, as these numbers are usually too long or short to be an ordinary person’s number in your country.
Scammers make bulk phone calls daily, leaving missed calls on thousands of phones. They’ll track the numbers which call back and discard those that don’t.
So, if you do return calls to them, you might find yourself on the list of targeted victims!
Can Your Phone Get Hacked By Calling A Number?
A mobile phone might seem like a very ordinary, commonplace device. In reality, each phone knows more about its owner than any other human being!
Therefore, it’s common to worry about whether anyone can hack our phones via a phone call. The answer depends on the scenario and circumstances.
In simple terms, no one can hack your phone when you all you do is call them back. However, calling a number back does potentially reveal your identity, and people may be able to discern the necessary information from your contact number.
Firstly, your name and other necessary information are often associated with your phone number (especially in the dark corners of the internet), and a person might be able to learn your name from your phone number.
Additionally, with the right equipment, people can also potentially track your location from your phone calls. No one will know your exact address through a phone call, but the signals can still point to a rough area.
Secondly, if you call back and the person does turn out to be a scammer, they’d probably try their best to convince you to reveal your private information.
So, the answer to whether someone can hack your phone if you return a missed call is that it’s impossible – unless you talk and give up information. Therefore, it’s best not to call back a missed call from an unknown person for security reasons!
What Does It Mean If You Return A Missed Call And It’s Disconnected?
If you call back a missed call and it is no longer in service or disconnected, take it as a sign: there is a high likelihood that the missed call is from a fraudster!
When you call back a missed call from an unknown number, scammers are able to learn that the number belongs to an actual human being.
You may only hear a recording saying that number is not in service. However, the scammers may track your number and begin calling you incessantly.
Even if you block the contact number, they will likely call you from other numbers; leading to a whole lot of trouble!
In Summary
In conclusion, whether or not you should call back a missed call depends on the person who made the call! If the number is a familiar, saved contact, calling back won’t pose any risks.
However, if it is from an unknown number, we recommend not to call back – despite what the commonplace “polite” etiquette might assert nowadays.
Returning a missed call from unknown numbers can create a lot of problems.
In the worst case, the missed call may be from a person trying to scam you, and these people can track and target you once they’ve gotten confirmation that a human owns a particular number.
Additionally, if the call is from a legit person, logic says that they will probably call you back if it is something truly important – or at least leave a voicemail message!
All in all, we strongly urge that you don’t call back a missed call for all the reasons discussed in the article above. A simple, courteous act on your part can come back to bite you – hard. As they say: it’s better to be safe than sorry!