The short answer: if you answer a call from a number you don’t know and hear silence, a click, or a delay before someone speaks, hang up. Don’t say “yes,” don’t press any buttons, and don’t call back. If the caller says your account is about to be locked, that there’s “suspicious activity,” or that this is your “final notice,” hang up and call the company on a number you know is real, like the one on the back of your card.
Why some scam calls start quiet
A pause or a click after you say “hello” often means an automated dialing system is calling lots of numbers at once and connecting the ones a person answers. Legitimate callers who need you will usually leave a voicemail. The FTC’s advice for robocalls: don’t press any numbers. Pressing a number to “speak to someone” or “be removed” can just lead to more calls (FTC).
Some callers open with “Can you hear me?” The FCC has warned that scammers may record you saying “yes” and use it to claim you agreed to charges (FCC). Say “Who is this?” instead, or just hang up.
The panic sentences to listen for
Most scam calls, texts and emails follow the same pattern: there’s a problem, it’s urgent, and you have to do something right now. Watch for lines like:
- “Your account will be locked today unless you verify your information.”
- “We’ve detected suspicious activity on your account.”
- “This is your final notice.”
- “Don’t tell anyone, and don’t hang up.”
The FTC lists these as classic scam claims: suspicious activity that didn’t happen, a problem with your account that doesn’t exist, or a request to “confirm” information the company would already have (FTC). Business impersonators, led by fake bank callers, took nearly $1 billion from people in 2025 (FTC, 2026).
What to do instead
- Hang up. You never have to be polite to a caller who is pressuring you.
- Call back on a number you know is real. Use the number on your card, your statement or the company’s official website, not a number the caller gave you (FTC).
- Never share passwords or one-time codes, and never move money “to keep it safe.” The FTC says no real government agency will ever tell you to do that (FTC).
- Talk to someone you trust before you act. Scammers want you to keep it secret (FTC).
If you already answered or said something
- One answered call is not a disaster. Hang up and block the number.
- If you shared card or bank details, call your bank on the number on your card right away.
- Check your phone bill and bank statements for charges you don’t recognize (FCC).
- Report the call at DoNotCall.gov. If you lost money, report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov (FTC).
Let your phone screen unknown callers
- iPhone: go to Settings > Apps > Phone > Screen Unknown Callers. Choose Ask Reason for Calling to have your iPhone answer for you, or Silence to send unknown callers straight to voicemail (Apple). Full steps: block scam calls on iPhone.
- Android: in the Phone app, tap More options > Settings > Caller ID & spam and turn on spam filtering (Google). Samsung phones call it Caller ID and spam protection (Samsung). Full steps: block scam calls on Android.
A safe voicemail greeting
Keep it simple: “You’ve reached this number. Please leave your name and number and I’ll call you back.” Leave out your full name, address and travel plans.
