Beware of “Can You Hear Me” Phone Scam!

We received this notification from one of our local police departments so beware!

The Crest Hill Police Department has been receiving reports from residents in reference to a new telephone scam “Can you hear me”. The scam works like this: You will receive an automated phone call from a voice that sounds legitimate. It identifies itself as a representative from a business, then asks “can you hear me?’. If you answer “yes”, the scammer records your response and uses your vocal affirmation to sign you up for products and services. Then, if you refuse to pay, the scammer can play back your “YES” to confirm that you agreed to make a purchase. There are other ways scammers might get you to say yes such as:

• Are you the homeowner?
• Are you over 18?
• Do you pay the household bills?
• Do you have a home computer?

Keep in mind, a scammer may already have gotten their hands on some of your personal information, such as credit card numbers, which they can use in tandem with your recorded affirmation to push through charges.

How to Protect Yourself:

• First and foremost, do not answer calls from numbers you do not recognize. If it’s a legitimate contact, they will leave a message. Even if a scammer leaves a message, this will give you time to think about what is being asked of you.
• If you do answer and are asked questions that seem to be fishing for a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer, do not respond and hang up immediately.
• For this scam, and all others, never give out any personal identifying information over the phone when you are not sure of the caller.
• If you believe you may have fallen for this, contact your bank and credit card companies to flag your accounts. Check your account daily – the earlier you identify unauthorized charges on your accounts, the easier it will be to recover any lost money.
• Write down the phone number of those callers violating the Do Not Call Registry and file a scam report with BBB Scam Tracker and the FTC’s Do Not Call List.
• If you have questions or concerns about this or any other scam, call your BBB at 248.223.9400.

For more tips on identifying scams and past scam alerts, visit BBB Scam Alerts.