You should hang up immediately when a mystery caller asks if you can hear them as the question is part of a dangerous scam which could see you lose a lot of money.
Can you think of a time when you’ve answered the phone and found you can’t hear who’s on the other end – what happens next?
Usually the caller will say some version of, “Can you hear me?”. That will prompt you to respond ‘yes’, which is exactly what a dangerous new scam is hoping for.
Criminals have been ringing people, asking them the question and then recording their response.
That simple little ‘yes’ is then used to sign people up for all manner of products and services they don’t want and probably haven’t even heard of.
The problem is even if you insist to the company that you never agreed for their service, they will have that all-important recording of you saying ‘yes’.
This is known as a voice signature and it can be used to show you’ve agreed to buy something, whether it’s a TV or a phone upgrade.
The worst case scenario is that they could threaten you with legal action if you don’t pay.
Worryingly, the recording could even be used to give the go-ahead to credit card payments which have been flagged as suspicious.
The scam has been sweeping America lately, with the concern that it won’t take long to hit the UK.
CPR Call Blocker is a device which helps stop unwanted calls, and the people behind the company claim the scam is highly likely to hit Britain before long.
How the scam works:
A call will come in from a familiar area code, but you won’t know the number.
The person on the other end will introduce themselves.
They will then start asking, “Can you hear me?”
They may use another question to prompt a ‘yes’, such as, “Are you there?”
Once they have recorded your ‘yes’, they will use it to sign up for products and services and then try to force you to pay.
How you can protect yourself:
If you don’t recognise the number and aren’t expecting the call, don’t pick up.
If you do answer, hang up as soon as the caller starts trying to prompt a ‘yes’ response from you.
If you worry you’ve fallen victim to the scam, get in touch with your bank immediately.
There has also been a rise in fraudsters using fake helpline numbers to scam people into handing over their financial information.
In January consumers were warned that their personal information might be being sold to data companies too.
