Today’s ‘Comoros’ phone scam in Ireland is another reason not to answer or ring back unknown numbers

You probably haven't heard of this place, never mind recognise the number.

Several people across Ireland are complaining about receiving strange phone calls from people from 'Comoros' with a number prefix of +269. While many are letting the phone ring out and completely ignoring it, others have said that when they answer the phone call, nothing happens and nobody speaks. This is an incentive for you to talk first or for you to ring the number back, which charges your phone bill at premium rates. https://twitter.com/MagsBrow/status/920659311751323649 https://twitter.com/AlisonSpittle/status/920654150182035461 https://twitter.com/AlisonSpittle/status/920657231422648320 https://twitter.com/jameshendicott/status/920653617224470528 https://twitter.com/JoshMoran8/status/920643425673863170 https://twitter.com/gavreilly/status/920639199489019904 Comoros or The Comoro Islands are situated off the south-east coast of Africa and are also near Mozambique and Madagascar, so unless you know someone from there, you are being advised to ignore it. This scam follows on from a similar event in September when people received missed calls from the Seychelles, Tonga, Mauritania and Chad, so if you see these numbers, do not answer or call back either. Ireland’s communications regulator ComReg has warned that these could be scam calls and that people should be vigilant when answering or ringing back unknown numbers. ComReg advises taking the following precautions: • Avoid answering calls from numbers that you cannot identify, especially if you are not expecting a call. • Hang up immediately, on calls where there appears to be no recipient on the other end. • Be wary of multiple calls being received from the same number. • Do not call back any number that leaves you a blank voicemail message. • Do not provide any personal information for example – banking details/PPS number/credit card details/name and address/passport number etc. Consumers can contact ComReg on consumerline@comreg.ie or by calling 01 804 9668 or if you need more information, you can visit the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) website.