Most of us grew up in the time before caller ID. When the phone rang, we answered. Now times are different, and caller ID may be your best friend.
A new phone scam has emerged and it preys on people willing to have a conversation with a stranger.
It begins with a call from an unknown number followed by a stranger’s voice asking “Can you hear me?” or some version of the same question. For most people the response is some version of “Yes, I can hear you,” and that’s where the scam begins.
The con-artists are trying to get an affirmative answer from the person they are calling. Once the “yes” is recorded it can be used as an consenting response to a variety of scam services ranging from agreeing to receive advertisements to billing for services.
While the consent is not legally binding since it was coerced under false pre-tenses, that doesn’t stop the stress of having to undo the scammer’s schemes.
When in doubt, don’t answer an unknown number. If you’re expecting a call from a business or other service and they ask you a question like this, just say “may I ask who’s calling?”
Watch the Fox News coverage of the scam below to learn more.