Ringing back a spam number is one of the most common things people worry about afterwards, and in most cases the damage is small: a call charge and possibly more spam. What decides whether it's more serious is the type of number you rang and what happened during the call.

What it costs

  • UK mobile (07) or landline (01, 02) and 03 numbers: normally charged like any other call and usually included in your minutes.
  • 070 numbers: these look like mobiles but are personal forwarding numbers. The price depends on your provider.
  • 084, 087 and 09 numbers: these carry a service charge on top of your provider's charge. 09 numbers are premium rate and can be expensive per minute.
  • International numbers: charged at your provider's international rates unless you have an add-on. Some destinations are costly, and one-ring scams use them to earn money from your call.

If you're worried about cost, check your usage in your network's app. Charges usually appear within a day or two.

What else it can do

Calling back tells whoever runs the number that your line is active and that you respond to missed calls. That can mean more calls from the same group or your number being added to other lists. It doesn't give them access to your phone - making an ordinary phone call doesn't install anything or reveal your data.

Signs the call back went further than a charge

  • You were kept on hold for a long time or asked to stay on the line.
  • You were asked to confirm personal details, a code or card information.
  • You were told to download an app or visit a website.

What to do now

  1. Check your bill or app for unexpected charges. If you find one from a premium-rate or international call you were tricked into, contact your provider and explain it was a scam.
  2. If you gave card or bank details, call your bank immediately using 159 or the number on your card.
  3. Report the number to your network by texting "call" to 7726, and add a report on Who Rang so others don't ring back.
  4. Block the number.

What nobody tells you is that the missed call is the scam, not the conversation. A number that rings once and hangs up has already done its job if you call back. We explain that pattern in why you keep getting calls that only ring once, and the prefixes to be careful with are listed on the dialling codes page.