*I rarely answer my phone anymore. Every other call is some kind of uninvited marketing call. Sales calls where the caller is talking about mortgages, the IRS, student loans — not that I have no interest in these topics, but if I ever do, I’m sure I can choose how I go about getting more info. I think back to the days when I did practically anything to support myself. Outside of artistic endeavors like modeling, singing or even acting — I’ve bottled medicines, sold coffee supplies and yes, even did some of those unsolicited calls.
But the difference here is one call in particular, and we’re being warned that its a scam; and that you should hang up immediately if you hear these five words.
You remember the actor, Paul, who for six years asked us, “Can you hear me now?” He was working with Verizon then. Now he has a new job with another phone company; but instead of asking us the question, he reminds us that it was him who used to ask the question.
Well that same question has resurfaced, but you’d better believe its not Paul, nor any other legitimate caller asking. It’s a scammer who is waiting for you to respond “Yes,” so that they can then take that response and use it to place unwanted charges on your… anything.
It appears your voice signature is now enough to purchase items or services.
CBS News 2 explains how it happens.
The phone will ring and when you answer it, the person on the other end of the line introduces themselves and their business. Police say sometimes this is an automated recording. After an introduction, comes the question. “The next thing you hear is, they’ll say, ‘Can you hear me?'” an officer explains.
UPDATE: The caller can ask this question in other ways too, so be careful. Even if the caller is a sweet sounding lady asking, “Can you hear me OK?” or “Am I speaking loud enough for you?” HANG UP! DON’T GIVE ANY INFO.
Naturally you will say ‘Yes’ and that is what the caller is hoping for.
According to the video below, police say the spammer will record your response and then sign you up for products you never asked for
Now my first thought upon hearing this was, “Why put this crap on the consumer. Why not do away with this whole voice signature thing since we see how easy it is to scam people. In the long run, wouldn’t it prevent a lot of lawsuits?
Hello?
In the video it says…
If you try to deny the charges, scammers play back your verbal response, and threaten to take legal action if you don’t pay. A lot of times victims don’t want to come forward because they are embarrassed.
Police do give advice on how to avoid this scam. Watch the video below to learn more.
