Robocallers hacking the codes of small faraway countries are becoming an international menace.
Typically the phone rings just once, prompting dutiful recipients to call back. But when they do they find themselves scammed out of hefty long-distance charges that actually flow into the pockets of the scammers.
In Korea, they usually come from a +678 number, which is the tiny South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu. Others use the codes of Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, and Nauru.
Fifty-seven percent of international scam calls to the country in 2019 were traced back to the South Pacific, according to SK Telink, which operates the international call service 00700.
Vanuatu topped the list with 15 percent, followed by Samoa (country code 685) with 14 percent and Papua New Guinea (country code 675) with 11 percent.
Robocallers take advantage of the inadequate phone infrastructure in those countries and the resulting extortionate charges.
International calls are charged based on the per-minute rates users pay and the costs telecom operators pay their overseas counterparts. International calls to Tonga are the most expensive in the world at W4,160 per minute, while those to Vanuatu are charged W2,212 (US$1=W1,160).
Scammers also fool callers into using additional expensive optional services. They apparently bribe staff at local telecom providers in return for a cut.
"If you've got a missed call from an unknown overseas number with country code 685, 675, or 678, it's most likely a scam call. Don't call back," an SK Telink staffer said.
