If someone calls you and doesn't speak to you, you could be a victim of a 'ghost call' scam.

The District Secretariat of Security, Coexistence, and Justice presented a series of recommendations to the public to prevent cases of scams through "ghost calls," that is, when someone calls you and no one answers.

(Read: Frisby to file legal action against brand using its name in Spain .)

According to authorities, criminals use this method to verify whether your phone number is active and thus include it in their databases for future fraud, scams, and other crimes.

"The continuous blows being dealt to criminal groups in Bogotá, which engage in extortion and scams through phone calls, have made it possible to identify one of the ways in which criminals contact their potential victims and build their databases," the entity stated in a statement in which they also presented advice to prevent this type of scam.

"These individuals call from unknown numbers repeatedly, with no intention of establishing a conversation. Their goal is to generate test calls to verify whether the numbers dialed are active."

(See: Bogotá will have a 'new Calle 13': bridges will implode at this important intersection ).

Be aware that once they manage to determine the list of numbers people regularly answer, they call with the goal of deceiving the call recipient. In some cases , they pose as employees of banks, telephone companies, or even prize givers, in order to steal personal information and even defraud people .

"Being vigilant and knowing how these criminals operate allows us all to stop these individuals, who wait patiently until they find a weakness through which they can exploit citizens. Answering a phantom call can make your phone number a target for fraud and other crimes," warned César Restrepo, District Secretary of Security.

Recommendations

- If you are not expecting a call, do not answer unknown numbers.

- Do not provide affirmative answers such as “yes” or “agree” to suspicious voices, especially if it is a recording or an automated assistant.

- Do not provide personal or financial information over the phone, even if the person on the other end claims to be from an official or banking entity.

- Inform family members and close friends, especially older adults, about this type of crime and how to act if they receive these calls.

PORTFOLIO