The short answer: if an unknown caller opens with “Can you hear me?” or another question that makes you say “yes,” hang up. The FCC has warned that scammers record that “yes” and may use it to claim you agreed to charges on your phone, utility or credit card bill (FCC). If you already said yes, don’t panic. Check your statements for charges you don’t recognize, and report the call.
How the trick works
The caller often pretends to be from a company you might know, like a utility or mortgage lender, so the call sounds reasonable. Then they ask “Can you hear me?” and record your answer as a “voice signature” (FCC). Other openers do the same job:
- “Is this the homeowner?”
- “This call is recorded. Do you agree?”
- “You qualify for a free offer. Is that okay?”
Even if nothing is ever charged, answering tells the scammer they’ve reached a real person who picks up. The FCC says scammers use tricks like “press a button to stop these calls” for the same reason: to find live people to target (FCC).
What to say instead
- Don’t answer the question. Say “Who is calling?” or simply hang up. You don’t owe a stranger a conversation.
- Don’t confirm anything. Don’t repeat your name, address, birthday or account numbers. Government agencies won’t call out of the blue to ask for sensitive information like your Social Security number (FTC).
- Don’t press any numbers, even “press 1 to be removed.” That can lead to more calls (FTC).
- Check it yourself. If the call might be real, hang up and call the company using the number on your bill or the back of your card.
Caller ID can be faked, so a familiar name or a local number doesn’t prove anything (FTC).
If you already said “yes”
- Review your bank, credit card and phone bills for charges you didn’t approve. Unauthorized charges added to a bill are called “cramming” (FCC).
- If you see one, call the company and dispute it. For a credit or debit card charge, ask the card issuer to reverse it (FTC).
- If you gave out your Social Security number, go to IdentityTheft.gov for next steps (FTC).
Block and report the number
- Let unknown numbers go to voicemail. A real caller will leave a message (FCC).
- Block the number and turn on your phone’s spam filters. Step-by-step guides: iPhone and Android.
- Report the call at DoNotCall.gov. If you lost money, report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov (FTC). You can also file a complaint with the FCC at consumercomplaints.fcc.gov (FCC).
Related: silent calls and the panic lines scammers use and why scammers use your area code.
