Scam calls

There are times when I become a little lazy and disconnect myself from the rest of the world. This happened to be one of those times. Almost 10 days without updating my blog. But actually, there's another way to look at it. It's time well spent away from the computer to do other stuff. So much so that it becomes a chore to eventually get back into the everyday grind.

I was jolted back into the present by a series of calls on my mobile phone a few days ago. The first came in at 11.55am, and an installed app flagged it as an unknown number. I glanced at the screen, saw that it carried a +65 country code from Singapore, and let it ring until it disconnected automatically. Hardly a second later, another unknown call came through, also with a +65 code. Then a third and a fourth, in quick succession. As if that wasn’t enough, immediately the next two were shown as calls from Kazakhstan. Of course, none of them were answered. I simply let each one time out. And finally, about an hour later, a seventh call appeared, once again from a Singapore number.

It didn’t take much thinking to realise that this was probably nothing more than a burst of computer-generated spam calls. The pattern was too clinical. When calls arrive so quickly one after another from different country codes, it usually suggests some automated system at work, which no human can replicate: random dialling, number spoofing or machines simply testing which numbers are active. In today’s world, our phones seem to attract attention the way an open window attracts burglars. Once a number is identified as live, it can find its way into other lists. If no one answers, the system just moves on and tries again later. That might explain why the last Singapore call came after some time. 

There is also a small caution I’ve come to keep in mind over the years. Answering unknown calls is not always harmless. In some cases, the other end may not just be a person, but an automated system recording voices, responses, even simple “hello” confirmations. These recordings can sometimes be used to feed further spam systems or to create patterns that mark a number as active and responsive. It may sound a bit far-fetched, but in the world of persistent spam and scam operations, even minimal interaction can sometimes be enough to invite more of the same.

As for my response, I don’t think I was wrong. There was no message, no familiar name, no reason to engage. Letting the calls ring out felt like the most sensible thing to do. In fact, answering might have been the bigger mistake, since it would have confirmed that the number was active. Sometimes silence is the best form of defence. There is no obligation to pick up every call that appears on the screen.

The lesson here is probably a simple one. Unknown international calls that arrive in clusters deserve caution, not panic. Let them ring. If it is genuine, the caller will leave a voicemail or try another channel. If not, the system will eventually move on.

So the episode served as a small reminder that even in my moments of quiet withdrawal from the world, the world has a way of tapping on my shoulder. One can choose whether to answer or ignore. And this time, I was quite happy to let it ring.

UPDATE: After I posted this on facebook, someone in Singapore happened to see it and took the trouble to report the numbers to the relevant authorities there as suspected scam calls. That was unexpected, but very much appreciated. It is reassuring to know that people do still take these things seriously and are willing to act on them, even when they are not directly affected. For that, I am quite thankful.