Nairobi — The communications Authority of Kenya (CA) now says it has received confirmed reports of the return of the infamous 'Wangiri' phone scam.

Wangiri, a Chinese connotation of a single ring on a mobile user originated from Japan and is used by swindlers to lure unsuspecting mobile users through mobile numbers illegally acquired by the swindlers from the dark web, which is usually a hidden part of the internet known for thriving on selling illegal goods and services.

"There has been an ongoing Wangiri scam in Kenya that has been reported by users on various platforms including social media," read the statement.

CA reports that the scam is designed to lure innocent and unsuspecting mobile phone users to return the "urgent" international calls upon which they are unknowingly redirected to premium numbers which ends up draining their credit.

The report also reveals that users are made to listen to a recorded message as they keep the caller connected during the call, which usually drains their credit the longer the caller stays connected.

"In such events, post paid subscribers are likely to be unaware owing to the fact that they receive their bills at the end of every month," CA added.

For the pre-paid subscribers, the worst that can happen is losing as much as their loaded credit.

The Authority further says that many of the calls have been reported to be emanating from telephone numbers with codes from Peru, New Zealand among others.

The authority additionally calls on all Kenyans to report the numbers to their service providers.

"Do not call back any international number that you don't recognize, " said CA boss Ezra Chiloba.