This number was on my phone bill. I was charged 53.00 for the call, claiming I called the number

Here is a possible explanation for these calls:
BBB Alert: Scammers call from strange number, rack up huge phone bill
From Toledo News Now
Posted: Oct 15, 2013 11:45 AM CDT
Updated: Oct 15, 2013 11:45 AM CDT
by Nick Bade
http://www.toledonewsnow.com/story/23695832/b ... huge-phone-bill

Although certain specific area codes are mentioned in the article, it would be quite easy to generalize the scam to other countries in the Caribbean.

The latest crop of phone calls also seem to be slightly different from the scam being described in the article because the caller doesn't have any intention of talking to you.  All the scammer wants is that you get upset enough about the late night call that you return the call, never even noticing that it is from a foreign country outside the reach of US or Canadian laws.  When you return the call (at international rates), there is also a big surcharge to your phone bill that gets passed along to the scammer.

That's why either:
(1) you can't return the phone call, because even though you would otherwise be able to dial it like an ordinary long distance number, you phone company has a restriction on your placing international calls (which these are).  If so, consider yourself lucky.  Or,
(2) when you call back and get through, they keep you on hold for as long as possible to run up your phone bill and their profits.

The scammers don't have to be associated with recent security breaches.  All they have to do is randomly dial a lot of telephone numbers in already-assigned area codes.  And they must be dialing a LOT of them based on the complaints logged to 800notes.  It probably doesn't cost them anything to dial, either, if the called party (you) doesn't pick up the call before they hang up.  

It only takes a small percentage of angry and/or curious people calling back for them to make a lot of money.  They don't even have to pay for real people to operate a call center -- it's all done by machines, outside the reach of US and Canadian law enforcement.

Missed call at 11:13 am.  No VM.

This number has called my phone at 1:30am central time for the past week.
Phone rings once waking me up and hangs up.  I finally called it back and it is just music playing and a recording stating "wait for the operator".  I can't turn my phone off because I'm on call but it is pissing me off......Grrrrr!!!

I've got a call from this number, and many others with the same 473-520, but most have differing last 4 numbers, it always rings once then they hang up. Thus far these are all the numbers I've blocked:
1-473-520-9714
1-473-520-9762
1-473-520-9711
1-473-520-9718
1-473-520-9708
1-473-520-9719

Glad to see I'm not the only one. Was afraid something malicious was afoot.

Missed call from Granada. Glad I did not answer and hope they call someone else. Not me. I don't like scammers.

They called my cell phone @ 2:22 AM on Dec 14, 2013.  Slept right through it, they never left a message.  Caller ID says Grenada.

Call me at 12:15 missed it but left no message tried to call it back but couldn't get through! This is a hoax when u put your info online these no life b*****ds try to get money from u it happened to me before except I got my lawyer on they a**

Called at 3:30 am. No voicemail.

Rang once and hung up.
No caller ID
I see above, it's from Grenada ... be very careful
...  some foreigners want you to call them back so their local phone companies can hit you with high zone costs.

unknown call, no vm-

Looks like same as rest, 1 ring no message.

Called me at 123am this morning slept through it from Geranda don't know anyone there scary they called so many people bunch of scammers hate these calls on that do not call list crap to stupid getting tired of calls from these idiot people don't care just want to annoy people.hope they get what's coming to them for sure.

M

Just missed a call..(8:22pm) .Caller from Grenada. 473-520-9714 No message left.
Wasn't expecting all these posted when I goggled the number! Scary!

Odd, it seems that this started in Dec 2013. It shouldn't last much longer, their bill will be too high and they won't be able to pay and then they will disconnect the idiot. They called my at 10:58 AM today. Definitely not calling them back.

Called at 03:09 am  EST No VM

Rang at 4:30am once and hung up no message left...  WTF!!!  

Called at 10:07 pm rang twice and hung up. I did not call back.  

Call came in from this number . Rang 3 or 4 times, then disconnected. I did not call back or answer

Phone rang once and caller hung up at 9:45 p.m. on Friday night.

Called at 9:55 AM EST.  Number called once then hung up, no message.

This number called me twice, letting the phone ring once.  

Saturday, 6 Dec  at 9:54PM

Weird because they called my wife's phone at 4:00 am and also had my number and called me at 11:00pm

call on cell

Rang once and hung up. Number is spoofed - do NOT call back. The owner of that number is probably on the receiving end of a nasty prankster.

Called at 3 AM. Did not answer.

One ring at 9:28pm. No voicemail.

Missed call on my cell, at 10:29pm on a Friday night. They left no voicemail.