We want to make members aware of yet another financial scam. From our partners at Balance, read on to learn about the “Can You Hear Me Now?” phone scam. – Thomas Lumadue, Vice President of Operations, TNConnect Credit Union
Phone Scam: 5 Ways to Protect Yourself
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:
1. 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.
2. Avoid giving out personal info
Unless you initiated the call or have already verified the phone number, never volunteer any personal information.
3. 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 Tracker and the FTC’s Do Not Call list.
4. 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.
5. 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.