Beware the latest phone scam which could leave you hundreds of pounds out of pocket.

In the scam, the victim receive a call from an 0845 or 0843 number, but ignores it. Then weeks later their mobile phone bill shows they called that number back and racked up a huge bill for calls lasting between three and 12 hours.

Customers from Vodafone, EE and O2 customers have all reported the scam to Money Mail. Often they say they don't even remember missing the original call or ignored it because they didn't know the number.

When monthly bills arrive, they have been up to hundreds of pounds more expensive than normal.

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When the victims have called customer services to complain, they have been told they called the numbers and the calls lasted over 12 hours. 

Ofcom are currently investigating - but it appears the scam is industry wide and how it works is still unclear.

An Ofcom spokesman said: "We are very concerned to hear of a number of people receiving mobile charges they didn’t expect.

"Ofcom is working with the mobile operators, industry experts and partner regulators to establish the causes and address the problem.

"We are pleased that Vodafone is blocking suspicious numbers and refunding affected customers. We advise those who believe they are affected to contact their phone company promptly."

Has this happened to you? Get in touch by emailing newsroom@london.newsquest.co.uk.