Overview
- Silent calls use automated autodialer software to place mass calls and record whether a number is active without a human on the line.
- Confirmed active numbers are compiled into lists and sold on illegal marketplaces on the Darknet, where they are repurposed for phishing, smishing, elder-targeted cons and shock calls.
- Even brief answers can yield short voice snippets that criminals record and later use to build synthetic voices for convincing impersonation attempts.
- The German regulator Bundesnetzagentur extended protective measures against ping and related silent-call abuse through 2027 and says complaint volumes remain high.
- To reduce harm, experts advise not answering unknown numbers, hanging up on silence, avoiding saying names or 'yes', never calling back unknown numbers, and blocking and reporting suspicious calls while checking smartphone call-filtering settings.