W.Va. attorney general warns residents about 'one-ring' scam that can inflate cellphone bills

Attorney General Patrick Morrisey is warning West Virginians about a new telephone scam that can inflate their cellphone bills.

The Better Business Bureau and others have dubbed it the "one-ring" scam. In this scam, a person often located overseas, calls a number and hangs up after the first ring. If the consumer calls back, he or she is charged for making an international call as well as other hidden fees.

Morrisey says the calls seem to be coming from Caribbean countries, including Antigua, Barbados, Jamaica, Grenada and other island nations using area codes such as 268, 876 or 473. But calls also may be from domestic numbers. He says the best advice is to be cautious about answering or returning phone calls from numbers and area codes you don't recognize.