By Emily Valla/Better Business Bureau
An Idaho man recently received got a phone call to his cellphone. It showed up as a local number, and as a business person, he needs to answer the phone even when he doesn’t recognize the number.
A recorded voice was on the other end.
“Hi, this is Allison from the warranty department. Can you hear me OK?”
Suspicious, as he’s heard of warranty scams that circulate now and again, the man asked “What warranty department?”
The exact same recording began playing again, so the man hung up and called the Better Business Bureau.
This annoying phone call can be part of a spooky scam. According to the Better Business Bureau, answering in the affirmative is all a scammer needs to execute the latest “can you hear me?” scam. This scam has historically been directed toward businesses, but consumers are not immune.
Here’s how the scam works: You receive a recorded call from someone who provides an introduction and identifies the business or agency they supposedly represent. In the past, consumers have said the call was supposedly from a home security agency, a cruise line, a business listing company or survey company.
After the introduction, the recording will ask if you can hear the caller clearly. If you answer “yes” there’s a possibility that the scam artist behind the phone call has recorded you and will use your agreement to sign you up for a product or service and then demand payment. If you refuse, the caller may produce your recorded “yes” response to confirm your purchase agreement.
If you receive a similar call, follow these tips from the Better Business Bureau:
n Just hang up, especially on robocalls. Avoid responding to questions from unknown callers with “yes, sure or OK.” Better yet, don’t respond at all. Scammers are listening for clues about you, including how old you might be and what sort of sounds are in the background. They may come back later with a different, more “personalized” scam later.
n If you are asked a question in a phone call or are asked to press a button to be placed on the Do Not Call Registry, just hang up the phone. Saying anything or pressing buttons when prompted may help the scam artists identify that you have an active phone number. Remember that no government agency will ever solicit for the Do Not Call Registry, but you can register your number at DoNotCall.gov. This will stop legitimate telemarketers and business from soliciting you, but not scammers. So, if you are on the list and get a call, you can be that much more confident it’s a scam.
The Better Business Bureau advises to check your account statements frequently in the event you do fall for a similar scam or provide personal information in an unsolicited phone call. The earlier you identify unauthorized charges on your accounts, the easier it will be to recover any lost money.
