# Scam likely warning from T Mobile **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 6, 2020, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-likely-warning-from-t-mobile/851215 "2020-04-06T20:27:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2020, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-likely-warning-from-t-mobile/851215/1 "2020-04-06T20:27:49Z")
Hello Everyone, Every week or so I get a call on my cell phone that shows up on caller id as “Scam Likely”. Because I’m bored I answer the call, prepared to describe what I’m not wearing to the scanner on the other end of the call. However, evey time I answer there’s no one on the other side and after about 20 seconds the call disconnects. What gives? What’s the scam? ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2020, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-likely-warning-from-t-mobile/851215/2 "2020-04-06T21:00:14Z")
Probably this: > [@Purpose of anonymous phone calls leaving no message?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/purpose-of-anonymous-phone-calls-leaving-no-message/848113/12): > > From what I understand, some of those call centers will have multiple numbers being called at once on the assumption that most won’t even get picked up. If someone picks up it lets the worker know that there’s a person there. If you don’t hear anyone, they didn’t get to your line fast enough or were already on another call. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2020, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-likely-warning-from-t-mobile/851215/3 "2020-04-06T21:18:01Z")
I have T Mobile but I think other carriers are doing the scam warning too. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2020, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-likely-warning-from-t-mobile/851215/4 "2020-04-06T21:25:12Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > Probably this: This is called “[predictive dialing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predictive_dialer)” and has been around for decades. ---
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2020, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-likely-warning-from-t-mobile/851215/5 "2020-04-06T21:37:49Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > This is called “[predictive dialing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Predictive_dialer)” and has been around for decades. I’m aware of predictive dialing, but the 10 or so times I’ve picked up its just dead air and eventually disconnects. Wondering what that’s all about? ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2020, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-likely-warning-from-t-mobile/851215/6 "2020-04-06T23:16:52Z")
> [@obbn](#): > > I’m aware of predictive dialing, but the 10 or so times I’ve picked up its just dead air and eventually disconnects. Wondering what that’s all about? That means the predictive dialer waited for 10 seconds hoping that a telemarketer would become available to scam you. But unfortunately all their operators were busy, so it gave up and hung up on you. Don’t worry, they will call back and hopefully you’ll get connected to a scammer next time. ---
**Author:** ![Some\_Call\_Me.Tim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Some\_Call\_Me.Tim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Some_Call_Me.Tim)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2020, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scam-likely-warning-from-t-mobile/851215/7 "2020-04-06T23:53:44Z")
Another plausible scenario is one step prior to the one already mentioned, that the initial wardialer is just creating a list of what numbers will answer cold calls of that type and there was no call center attached to it yet. Presumably your number has now been included on a list of ‘go-to’ numbers that are known to answer such cold calls. Congratulations, now that your number is in that database, they’ll bother to put you in the dialer pool(s) that will assign you your very own live scam artist callers.