Panic Stations over International Caller

[canonman]

This morning the phone went, display showed International caller, normally I'd ignore these calls as they are usually from Asia somewhere trying to tell you your computer has a virus etc, but as my son is working abroad just now I now answer them in case it is him.

Anyways, I am sure I pressed the red button on phone (I hope) as no-one spoke when answering which would end the call. Fast forward 4 hours I go to use one of the other phones in another room and notice before dialling the number the display is showing "Line In Use". I look at handset in living room and display shows what looks like when someone is online. I have to press the red hangup button before I can use it.
I am now beginning to panic in case I have a huge bill from some 4 hour international call because the phone didn't hang up properly.

Am I worrying uneccessarily ?

Thanks

[Isitme]

As long as you did not press a digit by mistake, you should be OK. I find I get quite a few calls now with the 44 prefix which makes it look like it has come from abroad, but are actually from UK.

[seawright]

I find I get quite a few calls now with the 44 prefix which makes it look like it has come from abroad, but are actually from UK.

If the call is really from abroad doesn't caller display/1471 just say international rather than leaving a number?

[Isitme]

Yes a true International will have International or possibly Out of area. I think the 44 prefix is used to try to fool the phone system into thinking it is an international call, although I don't see how it would work.

I am getting a lot of calls recently with 10 zeroes as the number, another scam to bypass blocks I would think.

[seawright]

A perfectly valid reason for using the +44 prefix when saving numbers in your mobile's phonebook (if you don't mind extortionate roving charges) is to enable you to make calls when travelling abroad as easy as from the UK without having to make any changes.