There’s a new phone scam sweeping the country. The “Can you hear me now?” scheme attempts to record your voice over the phone. (When you pick up the phone, you’ll hear someone ask, “Can you hear me now?”) The scammer then records and uses your “yes” response to sign you up for a product or service – and demand payment.
If you refuse to pay, the criminals may threaten you with legal action, citing your “yes” as proof.
To protect yourself, the Better Business Bureau offers five helpful tips:
- Just hang up. If you answer the phone to hear “Can you hear me now?” or another question eliciting a “yes” response, just hang up the phone. Don’t give the scammers any chance to record your voice.
- Avoid giving out personal info. Unless you initiated the call or have already verified the phone number, never volunteer any personal information.
- Write down the suspicious phone number. If you get a call requesting a “yes” answer or asking for personal info, file a scam report with the BBB Scam Trackerand the FTC’s Do Not Call list.
- Beware of any requests from an unknown number. In an attempt to find out if yours is an active phone number, the scammers may place a preliminary call. They can ask you a seemingly innocent question such as, “Do you want to be added to the Do Not Call registry?” Again, just hang up. Don’t press any buttons.
- Contact authorities if you’re a victim. If you think that you’ve been a victim of this (or any) phone scam, contact local authorities. You should also notify your financial institution, credit card companies, and check all of your accounts for fraudulent activity.
Have you checked your credit report lately? A review can be one of the quickest ways to see if you have been victimized by identity theft. As a Hanscom FCU member, you can access your credit report at no charge. Schedule your review here.