From snopes.com:

A CBS News report on the purported "Can
you hear me?" had prompted police warnings in 2016, but yet again we
found no indication that anyone who had actually been scammed out of
money by saying "yes" to a caller had stepped forward. (It's not
uncommon for police departments to spread dubious crime warnings on a
"better safe than sorry" basis, such as one about a $100 bill carjacking ploy.)

The "Can you hear me?" scam for now seems to be more a suggestion of a
hypothetical crime scheme than a real one that is actually robbing
victims of money. In messages we left with the BBC, the FTC, and the
Consumer Federation of America, we asked a question absent from all the
news reports we've encountered about this scam: "Are there any
documented cases of people being victimized in this manner?" We have
not yet received any affirmative response to those queries.

Originally published: 27 January 2017

That was on local Nashville news a couple days ago. In this day and age, it sounds plausible, but who knows?

I don't answer any call on my cell or landline that I don't recognize, name or number.

I hadn't heard. Thank you!

Heard that on the news last night. I don't answer any calls if I don't recognize the name or phone number. The caller can leave a message on the answering machine.

Not that many years ago, I would have politely said "yes" without even thinking. But with caller id, do-not-call registries, and all that ... I no longer feel the need to answer calls from numbers my smartphone doesn't recognize. In the rare event I do answer (thinking it could be a call I was expecting), if they don't start by identifying themselves, I hang up without speaking.

edited to add: I also do not answer 'chummy' questions until I know the person or business calling me. I already know you don't care how my day is, just state your business.

I hate people who say announce their name and say "how are you?" I know right away it's a telemarketer. Sometimes I answer just to hear their spiel.......duct cleaning is ever popular. I tell them to come on over, I live on the 12th floor (not true) and electric heat (not true) but they're welcome to come anyway.

It may be different in Canada but US credit card holders have NO liability for an unauthorized or fraudulent charge. None. Whether your voice is recorded or faked, your signature is forged or copied, etc, doesn't matter at all. If you see an improper charge in your account, call the card issuer (number on the back of your card) and it will be reversed. Period.

There's no risk, this isn't a scam.

My caller ID showed "US Govt." on a call last night. I was tempted to answer and play along since it was an obvious scam call but didn't. I've already had the "Your computer is infected by a virus" I can help and the "You owe money to the IRS" and need to get a lawyer calls.

Wait for the caller to begin talking. If no one talks. Hang up. Better yet don't answer the phone in the first place if it's from a number you don't know.

I no longer answer my phone on unidentified numbers. I have asked my doctors what numbers they are going to call from and added them to the phone's directory. I receive about 5 unknown calls daily. If it was someone who really needed or wanted to get hold of me they would leave a message. They do not. They are phishing. If you are the kind of person who answers your phone, you will be getting a live call at some point and they are sooooo dishonest... "This is so and so from the IRS I need to talk to unintelligible about unpaid taxes." About two weeks ago I received a series of daily messages from someone who claimed that they wanted to notify (couldn't make out the name) about issues with their "claim." What a load of hooey.

Debby_Ab....you won't call me back?

I got the gram ma I am in trouble call last week. It was my first time, my neighbor had just told me the day before about getting one. I knew immediately it was a scam because no one calls me gram ma and they said this is your oldest grandson but were trying to sound really young. Our oldest grandson is a grown man with 3 children lol. So I decided to go with it. I acted like I knew who it was and said oh yes I know who it is hunny. I know exactly who it is, it's the little assh*le who is trying to con some old people out of their money! He stuttered then in real voice laughing said yes you are right. I hung up.

I always answer the phone as my DSis has had 2 heart attacks a TIA and a stroke and I was called twice from a number I didn't know. Once was the middle of the night and I didn't answer. Luckily they called back. Such scary times.

I'll be cautious but not sure how to handle this. At least waiting for people to talk is a good idea.

We don't have caller ID, we just wait for the machine to pick up. If it's family, they know to start talking and we'll answer. Many years ago, I heard about this same scam, if you say 'yes', they have your voice. An easy way is for them to say "hello, Mrs. Smith?" If you say yes, they have you (for whatever that's worth.) I try to remember to say "speaking" instead.

But we only get about one call a month that's worth anything, so I don't put a lot of thought into it. :)

There's got to be a little more to this than simply saying "Yes". What harm can be done if this is all the caller has?

I say "hello". Anything wrong with that?

What happens is that the recorded "yes" can be used as your authorization for charges.

I have an old landline phone that doesn't tell me name, number or anything: my phone company (of which I'm a shareholder) offered such several years ago ... for an additional monthly fee, which I refused.

I've heard some different providers of such service who have offered such as part of the package, but have never yet chosen to take them up on their offer(s).

I'm fortunate, I guess, as I only get one or two of those spurious calls per month, e.g. the lower interest on my credit card ("how can you reduce '0' - do you pay me?"), great offer on replacing windows/doors, etc. ("You should get a more sophisticated list of phone numbers, to save your company a bucket of money on useless phone calls: I rent this place").

Hardly any about duct cleaning: I have an oil-fired furnace, so I do have ducts: I'll have to think up a good non-commital - and rather silly/funny - answer to that one.

I almost always answer, "Hello" ... and it's up to them where they proceed. If they ask, "How are you today?", I quite often offer "I'm still alive - I think", and sometimes may add, "I'll try to let you know if the situation changes".

I've never had anyone start with, "Can you hear me" ... but if/when I do, the answer'll likely be something along the line of, "I'm getting pretty old and don't hear well - so you'd better speak up, just to be sure".

oe joyfuelled

"What happens is that the recorded "yes" can be used as your authorization for charges."

No it can't. No more than a photocopy or expertly forged example of your signature can be used as an authorization. A fraudulent charge is a fraudulent charge.

Just a month ago, a charge came through on my credit card for a restaurant I hadn't eaten at in 6 months. I didn't check whether the earlier visit had come through or not, I didn't try to remember how I had paid for my bill, there was no need for me to check it. I called and said "I didn't visit this restaurant in November and this charge was not authorized by me". It was reversed, I've heard nothing more.

Did they lose the charge slip, put it through late? Or was it something else? I have no need to know and don't care. That's how it works.

I don't answer numbers I don't know or don't have caller ID. I also use my Call Block button liberally.

I asked the question somewhat rhetorically. The scam caller can't take your "Yes" and process anything on that alone. What I understand that happens is that there's a call back later saying you've authorized X and they play back the "Yes" to show that you "approved" the charge. Then, there's a negotiation, at a cost, to have this charge removed and/or get additional financial information to complete the scam.

No need to deal with someone like that, the charge (if processed) will get reversed by making a simple phone call to the card issuer. Don't make more of it than it is.

Why do people even answer the phone except those rare occasions when you're expecting a return call on something important? I don't understand it. I have over 100 calls blocked through phonetrayfree and the ones that come through will go to the answering machine. If it's a legitimate call they'll leave a message. Anyone who won't leave a message is someone with whom I have no desire to speak. Phones are for MY benefit, not someone else's AFAIC.

I have Lupus calling again even though they've been instructed to put me on their DNC list. Obviously they've given my number to a new group of teleterrorists so there will be calls blocked from them for a couple more weeks until they get the message. In my book Lupus is now nothing more than a scam and I let everyone I know be aware of their actions. I've debated whether I want to go to the hassle to sue them and get the judgment, since I have it documented but I have other things going on that are higher on my priority list.

I do have a shiny new whistle I've wanted to try out on telescammers. I should get another air horn. Plus it is enjoyable to insult them, let them listen to the toilet flushing, flatulation, or other fun with scammers. Oh, that's right, these poor people who are just trying to feed their 17 children! But there too I don't even want to bother answering the phone. I'm not a person who lives to be on a phone.

The saddest part? This wouldn't happen if people weren't so stupid and gullible. If they wouldn't fall for this crapola, they wouldn't bother. But I really learned for sure in the last few months just HOW gullible people remain. Sad. Truly sad. I'm getting to the point where I no longer care if they get scammed. There are none so ignorant as those who refuse to learn.

Elmer, there are no real charges. Just the person wanting money. Same as the phony IRS agent or the grandma scams. The victim will be asked to wire money by Western Union or to purchase an expensive gift card and give the crook the codes. Look, you wouldn't fall for it, I wouldn't, most of the people here wouldn't either. But a slightly confused elderly person is a prime target.

Sadly, elderly are too often the victims. Sometimes they are cognitively frail and anxious. Their judgement might not be as keen as it used to be.

Those who live to a ripe old age will find certain tasks or habits of life can't be continued. They reach an age where they can no longer drive, or live alone, or go shopping, or live in a rural setting or whatever. In much the same way, many elderly reach an age when their diminished thinking abilities make looking after their own financial affairs not possible.

We have such an oldster in our family. She's mentally fine in most respects and lives comfortably on her own but can get flummoxed by new situations. Management of her financial means has been taken away from her and other than a small bank account for cash expenditures, all other money matters of her existence are handled by her kids (who themselves are approaching senior citizenship).

Friends and family need to protect those with some degree of diminished functionality from causing themselves harm. This person I mentioned can be approached by any form of cons and other than the change drawer in her bedroom, there's little damage that can be done. Everyone should be so protected from various crooks who have been around since forever and will always be looking to take advantage of others.

The 'Can you hear me' Call news report appeared on our coastal news again last night...

Can You Hear Me Calls reach Tacoma

I was at a meeting of an aging/adult services committee yesterday and a police officer from one of the townships, population 22,000, said that he's had 22 calls from residents on this and other scams in the past week. How many people didn't call to report it? Good side is that he's made a great effort to get people to call the police and report it. He may not be able to do anything except educate the population, but that is what counts, so no one falls for it.

I don't understand how the "can you hear me?" scam works. I don't have any voice recognition accounts anywhere. Do you? I can't imagine many elderly do either.

Maybe the video tells, but I can't get it to play with my wonky internet.

ETA: The video played finally, but not a word about how this "yes" would actually be used and where. It seems like a bunch of getting people scared and riled up about nothing.

According to Snopes... this scam cannot be confirmed?!?

I was hoping someone could explain what the "scam" is....given that no one in my sphere seems to have voice recognition accounts. Even if you did, they'd have to have your account, password, and voice saying yes and maybe your voice answering other questions. Sometimes when I am trying to get repair on my internet service or something like that, the prompt is "enter 1 or say 'yes'" or something like that. If the scammers could get my internet to work properly, I'd happily say "Yes" for them.

I too wondered how the scam worked without a credit card, etc, Olychick. This was on our news again last week. Apparently the scammers call them back and demand payment for something they supposedly agreed to, and their recorded Yes is the proof.

They are recording your answer and then can use your voice as recognition legally authorizing fake charges.

They may try, but they will not succeed. If there are any successes from such a scam, it is because the people who were scammed believed the scammers and paid them, not because there is any actual legal risk.

You wouldn't fall for it. I wouldn't fall for it. Most of the people on this forum would not fall for it. But for the elderly, scammers prey on those who are easily confused. Same for the "Grandma, I'm in jail" or the IRS scams.

Thank you, Jasdip. Now that makes sense. But instead of scaring people about saying "Yes" when asked and caught off guard, I wish the authorities would stress how scammers are going to try to use this ruse and that they cannot use the recorded "Yes" as any kind of legal contract.

jrb, I missed your earlier post about this, explaining the scam. Sorry I didn't see it.