You receive a missed call from an unknown number. It rang only once — sometimes less than a second. No voicemail was left. Your natural curiosity pushes you to call back. That is exactly what the scammer is counting on. Behind its apparent simplicity, the ping call is a well-oiled mechanism that can cost you several tens of euros in minutes.
How a ping call works in practice
An automated server dials your number, lets it ring once (just enough to trigger a missed-call notification), then hangs up before you can answer. It can place thousands of identical calls simultaneously at near-zero cost via VoIP platforms. The displayed number redirects to a premium-rate service — typically €1.50–3 on connection, plus a per-minute surcharge. A five-minute call can cost you €10–15, debited from your next phone bill.
Most commonly abused prefixes
- +222 — Mauritania
- +678 — Vanuatu
- +252 — Somalia
- +269 — Comoros
- +1242 — Bahamas
- +376 — Andorra (often spoofed via VoIP)
In 2026, ping call platforms increasingly use apparently French numbers — 09 or even 06 and 07 — to seem more familiar. Always check any missed call from an unknown number on TelCheck, whether French or foreign.
How to check a suspicious number with TelCheck
Before calling back any unknown number, enter it in TelCheck (telcheck.fr). If used for ping calls, you will immediately find a high reputation score, comments confirming the scam, and the "premium rate" or "scam" category. If new or under-reported, prefix analysis provides additional clues.
What to do if you already called back
Contact your carrier's customer service immediately to dispute the charges. Most French carriers (Orange, SFR, Bouygues, Free) can refund fraudulent premium-rate calls on a first request. If refused, refer to the médiateur des communications électroniques. Also report the number on TelCheck and Signal Conso (signalconso.gouv.fr).
Long-term protection
- Enable international unknown number blocking through your carrier.
- Enable unknown caller filtering on your smartphone (iOS: Silence Unknown Callers; Android: spam filter).
- Never share your number on unreliable sites or prize-draw forms.
- Report suspicious numbers on TelCheck to protect the community.