Warning: 0137 phone scam - Germany

There is currently a scam going around with mobile phone users in Germany.

Here's how it works.

You recieve a call on your handy from a telephone with a 0137 vorwahl (Areacode) at strange hours of the
day (Normally after midnight). It may only ring once, which then shows up on the phone as a missed call.
Since the # isn't in the phone, there is no name attached to it. The scam starts when the person who got
call, calls the # back to see who it was.

The 0137 areacode is for Telemarketing,Televoting, and other Premeium services (Just like the 0900
areacode), so when the caller calls this number they get an automated message telling you some kind of
story (You've won something,etc) These #'s have a high per minute fee attached to them and every minute
you stay on the line you get charged a $hit load of cash..

To prevent these calls you can request your provider (Also for land lines) to block the premium areacodes
0137,0190 & 0900 from being dialed or recieved.

So don't fall for this scam, if you get a call from a 0137 area code forget it, and don't call back.

For more Info (In German) Click Here and scroll down to "Neuer Missbrauch von 0137er Nummern bei Mobiltelefonen"

Really? I didn't know that. What's the procedure, do you know?

Start by contacting them and asking

I got one of these last night around 10:30. I had not seen this thread yet so I tried to call the number back, but Vodafone must block these numbers (service numbers)from being dialled because I got disconnected immediately when I tried. Thanks for posting this.

Nah, I'll just get Mrs. FFS to ask - she works for Telekom

I get calls to my landline either for advertising or for surveys. Once when I got home, I had 1 message on my answermachine which was one of these automated 'You have won a competition!' recorded machine messages. Will I be charged for them leaving me a msg? I heard that some companies re-direct you to an expensive phone number if you don't hang up immediately.

If they call you.. No, but if you return the call then yes. Of course you can also send them a bill for your time and the harrassment.

You can't be charged in your homeland for a call you don't initiate or explicitly agree to. It's a basic principle of European Telecoms regulations.

That's great for the info guys, I feel a bit more relieved. I'm ex-directory now because of all of the calls. Of course it won't matter for the databases we're already in. What's funny is they can never pronounce the surname then ask to speak to my 'daddy'. I guess I have a young voice.

Who's your Daddy?

Eh, soz again. (God I hate that word)

I get these "You've won a competition" calls all the time. They usually arrive around lunchtime. Missed calls every single day when I get home from work. Only knew what they were 'cause I was home one work day when it came through. Just hang up and curse them. Now the daily routine is, come in from work, see envelope flashing on phone, press the button and all I see is "Unbekannt". They're a bunch of kannts! Bastards, I thought real people were trying to ring me.

Just to say thanks for the warning as this morning I had a missed call on my mobile from an 0137 number. I won't be calling it back!!!

if you want to do a little more, then take the time and send an email to the agency which is apparently trying to track down these scammers.

rufnummernspam at bnetza.de

just put the number in the subject line

That's simply the general enquiry email address of the Bundesnetzagentur - the government based consumer protection organisation. See here

So, I'm sitting here this morning and my cell phone rings once. I actually thought it was an sms since it only buzzed once.

Anyway, when I look at it I have 1 missed call from +491377890402.

The number doesn't look familar, so I googled it. I obviously got no matches so I smartened up a bit and googled 0137-.
Now, I haven't figured out who this is from, but calling back would cost a minimum of 0,98 cents/minute - at least according to the few companies offering 0137-7 numbers in Germany.

Anyway, just a reminder - if you miss a call and don't know the number, don't call back. There are lots of "service numbers" with pretty high fees. If they want to talk to you, they will let it ring or call you again.

Topics merged by admin

Here is the current list of Scam/spam phone/fax numbers