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BBB Warning: If Caller Asks “Can You Hear Me?,” Just Hang Up

WVBaker

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It seems people are still falling victim to this.

BBB Warning: If Caller Asks “Can You Hear Me?,” Just Hang Up

https://www.bbb.org/article/news-re...g-if-caller-asks-can-you-hear-me-just-hang-up

"You get a call from someone who almost immediately asks “Can you hear me?” Their goal is to get you to answer “Yes,” which most people would do instinctively in that situation. There may be some fumbling around; the person may even say something like “I’m having trouble with my headset.” But in fact, the “person” may just be a robocall recording your conversation… and that “Yes” answer you gave can later be edited to make it sound like you authorized a major purchase."
 

bbodb1

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However, it is a good reminder to be on one's guard when receiving any phone call.
Because of number spoofing these days, one cannot assume that familiar numbers are someone you know.
 

GetawaysRus

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We get so many telemarketing calls that we've stopped answering the phone. If someone starts to leave a message, and we recognize them, only then do we pick up.

If you don't answer, you can't get scammed.

I'd say we average at least 3-4 calls per day on our home number that just hang up without leaving a message. I assume these are all robo-calls. Many come when we're eating dinner (no surprise there - they must figure that we're home at dinnertime). If I add my cell phone to that, it rises to the range of about 5-6 per day.

There is a corollary. I don't believe political polls any more. You can't poll people who don't answer their phone. So I think all polls are now skewed because of that.
 

bbodb1

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We get so many telemarketing calls that we've stopped answering the phone. If someone starts to leave a message, and we recognize them, only then do we pick up.

If you don't answer, you can't get scammed.

I'd say we average at least 3-4 calls per day on our home number that just hang up without leaving a message. I assume these are all robo-calls. Many come when we're eating dinner (no surprise there - they must figure that we're home at dinnertime). If I add my cell phone to that, it rises to the range of about 5-6 per day.

There is a corollary. I don't believe political polls any more. You can't poll people who don't answer their phone. So I think all polls are now skewed because of that.

FWIW: The 2020 Census will be much more difficult because people are increasingly unwilling to deal with the Census Bureau via phone. The confidence level in the numbers generated from the upcoming Census may be as low as we have seen it in our lifetimes and this will have repercussions across the board.
 

dioxide45

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I only really ever see this possibly working with a cell phone. A land line or even VOIP, they can't bill purchases directly to your phone like they can with a cell phone. If I happen to just answer yes on a phone call, how can they charge me anything? I provided no payment information whatsoever. Perhaps they could send me some kind of big shipment with a invoice?

According to the article, no one has yet reported losing money to this said scam, with the number of these kinds of calls we have got in the past I would expect someone to have reported a loss by now if it was a real scam. I suspect they just use this "script" to try to get you to stay on the phone. These robo calls actually sound like a real person until you have heard them for the second and third time.
 

RX8

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The reason scammers use the “can you hear me” line is to get people involved, and believe it is a real person, so that their robocall spiel will be heard.
 

WinniWoman

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Usually when someone asks for me- and, of course, I can tell it is a sales or robo call- the first thing I say is "who is this?". When they answer I just simply hang up.
 
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pittle

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FWIW: The 2020 Census will be much more difficult because people are increasingly unwilling to deal with the Census Bureau via phone. The confidence level in the numbers generated from the upcoming Census may be as low as we have seen it in our lifetimes and this will have repercussions across the board.

I recently attended a meeting and learned that in 2020 you will get a postcard in March for the Census and can do it online after March 23rd. There is also a phone and mail in option Online is the preferred method. Did you know that each person is worth close to $2000 each year to the local community in State and Federal Funding?
 

moonstone

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A new scam circulating around here now is people getting a call from a person saying their credit card was charged with a high amount in Europe and that the card holder should immediately call the number on the back of their card. The scammers making the call do not hang up and hope that the victims immediately dial the number on their card without listening for dial tone (on a land line). The caller thinks they are calling their credit card company but since the scammers held the call the victim isn't dialing anywhere and are still connected to the scammer. The scammers answer and pretend they are the legitimate credit card company and ask the victim to confirm/read their credit card number out with the expiry date and security code on the back. Then they start charging the card while telling the victim they are blocking further foreign purchases on the card and everything is safe.

My 88yr old dad was awakened with one of these calls very early in the morning a few weeks ago but thankfully, as groggy as he was, he thought to ask which credit card was hacked. The callers kept saying "the card you use all the time" -not your Visa or your Mastercard. Being a retired Bell employee Dad also listens for dial tone before starting to dial a number, when he didn't hear one he realized the callers had his line held. He then thanked them for holding the line long enough that the police were able to trace their number. Of course the police hadn't, but so far he hasn't had any more calls. After he got up he called both his credit card companies and was assured there were no foreign purchases on either card.


~Diane
 

clifffaith

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What floors me is people who call back a spoofed number and say "why did you call me?" Several years ago while we still had our business, there was one day where I got call after call on my business line asking why I'd called them. Why would anyone call "Faith's" Windows & Interiors back when no message was left, they just see Faith's Windows & Interiors on their missed calls log. Several months later I answered the phone when my accountant's company showed on the caller ID. Turns out that was her day to have a spoofed number. I never answer out of area code calls, and depending on my mood I may or may not answer what look like local calls. As soon as I say hello I count 1-2-3-4 and hang up on 4. The robo and junk calls can never answer in four seconds.
 
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