Suspicious activity warning

Telecommunications firm IT&E, which operates both in Guam and the CNMI, issued a notice yesterday on its social media account, warning customers of “suspicious activity.”

“We’ve received reports that our subscribers are getting calls from +88182151200 and +88127175299. We recommend that you do not answer or call the number back, while Guam Homeland Security & Civil Defense along with the Marianas Regional Fusion Center, are monitoring the activity,” the company said in its Facebook page.

The post issued the following guidelines: For your security, we recommend that you:

-Don’t answer unexpected calls from unusual international numbers.

-Don’t answer calls from blocked or calls labeled as unknown.

-Don’t give out personal and/or financial information to unknown callers

“Keeping your account and your information safe is our priority, so we’ve blocked the number from reaching you and will continue to monitor activity from this number and any other suspicious numbers that are reported,” the company added. “We’ll keep you posted as the situation develops.”

A separate statement from the Offices of Guam Homeland Security and Civil Defense said that it is closely monitoring reports of local numbers receiving calls from international numbers beginning in +881.

In what is referred to as a “Wangiri” fraud, a Japanese word meaning “one ring and drop,” the missed call from an international number prompts people to return the missed call. It is likely a “Wangiri” fraud, a scam that routes people to a premium rate service that can automatically charge the customer.

It was not immediately confirmed if this is in fact a Wangiri scam but are continuing to analyze. The following are important tips to keep in mind:

-Do not answer any unexpected calls from international or unusual numbers.

-If you have a missed call from an international or unusual number, do not be tempted to call back

Residents are advised to report any suspicious activity or social media posts relating to the fraudulent scam to the MRFC online at https://mlrin.org/ or email teammrfc@mlrin.org or call 475-0400, following the Department of Homeland Security’s campaign, “If You See Something, Say Something.”

It was not immediately learned if anyone in Guam or the CNMI has been victimized already.