The Attorney General provides Consumer Alerts to inform the public of unfair, misleading, or deceptive business practices, and to provide information and guidance on other issues of concern. Consumer Alerts are not legal advice, legal authority, or a binding legal opinion from the Department of Attorney General.
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The “One Ring” scam takes place when a robocaller calls a number and hangs up after a ring or two.
They may call repeatedly, hoping the consumer calls back to what is really an international number, and runs up a toll that is largely paid to the scammer.
They may also call repeatedly and hang up when you finally answer. This is to find a target. A live telemarketer or scammer will then call you immediately after.
A robocall is simply a telephone call with a recorded message, in whole or in part. Under Michigan law, a “telephone solicitation” or telemarketing call, is a call that encourages a purchase, rental, or investment in goods or services. A robocall cannot be used in a telephone solicitation call.
Marketing goods or services to potential customers over the telephone is called telemarketing.
When you pick up the phone and hear a recorded message instead of a live person, that’s a robocall. Increasingly, telemarketing is being done with intrusive robocalls.
You receive a robocall:
You receive a robocall from a person or business:
Scammers aren't concerned with whether or not you're on the Do Not Call registry. That's why your best defense against these calls is to block unwanted calls. The call-blocking option you choose will depend on whether you’re getting calls on a cell phone, traditional landline, or home phone that makes calls over the internet (VoIP).
You can also check with your phone carrier to see what they offer. Also check out the reviews for the different call-blocking apps available in the app stores.