Cellphone Scam: Don't Call That Mysterious Number Back

DENVER (CBS4) – A new scam on cellphones is sweeping the country and its easy to fall victim.

Just one ring and a person could be out some money almost immediately. After the ring some people will call the number back, but they shouldn't.

Melanie Johnson has been getting phone calls at all hours of the day and night and from all over the world.

"Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, and then there's this one number here that shows up a couple times that actually has a 'C' in it," Johnson said.

She's not alone. In the CBS4 newsroom there were obscure phone numbers on cellphones of half a dozen people.

"What happens is, if someone is curious about the call and they call back, they can be charged $19.95 – just a flat fee -- and then $9 a minute," a Better Business Bureau official said.

That means call back costs for a 5 minute call could run nearly $50.

"To prevent yourself from getting them in the first place is tough because we don't know how these people are getting these numbers," the BBB official said.

People who are receiving the calls should contact their carrier immediately and ask the numbers be blocked from coming to the phone.