evidence: These simple phone scams lure you into calling back a phone number that appears as a missed call. These calls often come from unfamiliar or international numbers and are designed to ring only once or twice — just enough to trigger your curiosity. When you return the call, you’re unknowingly connected to a premium-rate number. There may even be a person trying to keep you on the line as the charges quickly add up. The fraudsters also now know that you’re receptive to cold approaches like this. Resist the urge to call back any unfamiliar number, especially if it’s from an international area code you don’t recognize. If it’s important, they’ll leave a message or call back. Be particularly cautious of calls that ring only once or twice before disconnecting. If you suspect a scam, search the number online to see if others have reported it as fraudulent. [...] As you can see, phone scams come in many forms. We pointed out how each individual scam can be avoided, but you’ll have also noticed that there are some common rules of thumb you can use to protect yourself from falling victim to them. Just choosing to never answer the phone works for some people, but you shouldn’t feel that you have to go that far! Here are some general strategies: