New Cell Phone Scam Rings Once From an Unknown Number, Call Back And It’ll Cost You $30

Here's a heads up on the latest huge scam: If you get a call on your cell phone from an unknown number, and it only rings once, DO NOT CALL BACK. 

Lest you think that this may not be a real scam, let me assure you it is, because someone tried to pull it on me. Tuesday evening I received a call from an unknown number (268-762-XXXX) from Antigua/Barbuda. I didn't answer it or call back, and that's exactly how you should handle it. No matter how tempted you are to call that number back, don't do it.

Apparently, scammers in the Caribbean have a computer that calls thousands of random cell phone numbers, then disconnects after one ring.  And the phone number it's coming from appears to be coming from a local phone, but if you call it back, it's secretly an international call, and you'll get charged $19.95 to make the connection, then $9-per-minute.  Even if you hang up in less than a minute, that's $28.95 extra on your next cell phone bill.

Authorities are not entirely clear how the crooks running the scam got the numbers, or what kind of billing they're using to make this work, but the Better Business Bureau is investigating.

(Consumerist)