A widely shared WhatsApp message warning South Africans about international missed calls allegedly being used to steal contacts, bank details and clone SIM cards has been confirmed as a viral hoax.
The message, which has been circulating globally in various forms since at least 2012, claims that callers from foreign country codes ring once and hang up, and that returning the call allows criminals to copy personal data within seconds. It also warns users not to press certain keypad combinations, alleging it could give criminals access to a person’s SIM card.
Cybersecurity experts and telecom specialists have dismissed these claims as technically impossible on modern smartphones.
However, there is a small element of truth behind the warning. The so-called “one-ring” or Wangiri scam is a real tactic used by fraudsters, where a missed call from an international number is intended to trick victims into calling back. Those who return the call may be connected to a premium-rate number and charged heavily per minute.
Experts stress that while this scam can result in high call charges, a simple phone call cannot access a person’s contacts, banking apps, messages or SIM card.
The warning about pressing #90 or #09 has also been labelled an outdated urban legend dating back to office landline systems in the 1990s and has no effect on mobile phones today.
Authorities have urged the public not to forward chain messages and to rely only on official government and law enforcement channels for cybersecurity alerts.
Residents are advised to avoid calling back unknown international numbers, block suspicious callers and never share personal or banking information over the phone.