With all of the technology available to us, it’s becoming easier and easier for less than savory people to exploit our use of social media, the internet, credit cards, and more. Identity theft has become a widespread issue and scammers seem to be waiting around every corner. But, one popular, recent scam features an older piece of technology that we may occasionally still use – the telephone. That can be your landline or your ever-present cell phone that you rarely use to make calls anymore. Here’s the most important thing to remember: If you pick up your phone and a voice you don’t recognize asks, “Can you hear me?”, you should hang up or end the call immediately. It’s a scam. If you answer, “yes”, scammers will then use that to dupe you out of your money. This is a new twist on an older scam, but it’s still catching people unaware.
The Better Business Bureau recently shared this post in hopes of informing people of the dangers of this scam. In addition, law enforcement is aware of the scam and hoping to spread the word and keep anyone from being affected by the scam.
Here’s what happens if you answer “yes”: the scammers take that as permission to record your voice. Then, the scammer will use your words and responses to make it sound as if you are agreeing to certain questionable financial arrangements. This can include consenting to pay for certain services. Canceling the service or refusing to pay may result in the scammers using your recorded voice to harass you into giving out your credit card information. No one in the United States has been negatively affected by this scam, but the calls have been reported.
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