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WASHINGTON — Late night robocalls using the West African country code ‘222’ have been making midnight rounds across the U.S., resulting in per minute charges on customer phone bills that mimic 900 toll numbers.

The Federal Communications Commission alerted consumers on Friday about the wave of robocalls they are calling,  ‘One Ring,” or ‘Wangiri,’ a scam attempting to defraud consumers by prompting expensive callback during overnight hours in New York and Arizona.

“One Ring scam takes place when a robocaller calls a number and hangs up after a ring or two. They may call repeatedly, hoping the consumer calls back and runs up a toll that is largely paid to the scammer,” the FCC said.

What the FCC says about how to handle robocalls:

  • Do not call back numbers you do not recognize, especially those appearing to originate overseas.
  • File a complaint with the FCC if you received these calls: www.fcc.gov/complaints
  • If you never make international calls, consider talking to your phone company about blocking outbound international calls to prevent accidental toll calls.
  • Check your phone bill for charges you don’t recognize.

Related: Grandparent scams on the rise

Enforcement actions, caller ID authentication and tools for blocking are ways that the FCC says it is working to combat scam.

If you have been affected by this scam, the FCC says to contact your phone company first to If you are unable to resolve it directly, you can file a complaint with the FCC.

More information about the ‘One Ring’ FCC consumer guide: https://t.co/pROJ0ldMXv