Posted on 01/28/2017 5:46:06 PM PST by ETL
"Can you hear me?" Police in several states are urging people to avoid answering this simple question from a phone number they do not know.
Authorities in Virginia say the question is aimed at getting unsuspecting victims to say "yes" -- an answer the frauster then records as a way to authorize charges on a phone, utility or credit card bill.
The scam is a variation of one that began late last year, according to law enforcement.
"You say 'yes,' it gets recorded and they say that you have agreed to something,” Susan Grant, director of consumer protection and privacy for the Consumer Federation of America, told CBS News. “I know that people think it’s impolite to hang up, but it’s a good strategy.”
The Pittsburgh Better Business Bureau (BBB) reported in October that it was receiving consumer complaints, citing unsolicited automated calls from "an employee" of a home security agency, cruise line, or social security firm.
In those phone calls, scammers were using phrases like, "Are you the lady of the house?"; "Do you pay the household telephone bills?"; or "Are you the homeowner?"
Similar calls are now being reported in Virginia -- with criminals asking the question, "Can you hear me?"
"Usually it has a familiar area code," Officer Jo Ann Hughes with the Norfolk Police Department told WTKR-TV.
“That kind of warms you up,” Hughes told the station, warning that those on the receiving end should hang up the phone immediately.
In many cases, scammers will play back a person's verbal confirmation and threaten to take legal action if they try to deny the charges.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Can you hear me now?
Link above does not take you to that article. Would love the link that does.
I wish the feds would go after these phone scam agencies.
It has gotten to the point you can’t even answer your own phone.
I get unknown number calls quite often, because I call in for service, or a problem, and when people call back I sometimes don’t answer because I don’t recognize the number.
They then mark me as unable to contact, and my place in the repair or business que is invalidated.
Sorry, had it opened in a different tab than the one I copied.
?bad link?
What if I say, “No!”
I hate scammers of any sort. Had one hit me up in a parking lot today. Attractive woman needed $20 to buy a gas can and a couple of gallons of gas because her car ran out. She assured me she was a local teacher and would pay me back.
When I told her no and offered to run home and bring back a full gas can she quickly slithered away.
These bums should be hung by their entrails.
Problem is they show fake phone numbers. Spoofing a number needs to be punished by death.
But sometimes I'll answer "Druckers General Store.... Sam speakin'" and that one generally plays out more fun.
You say, you called me and you ask who I am? Then explain to the AH if YOU call someone, you're are supposed to ID yourself, not the person receiving the calling. Then hang up.
The best thing to do it don’t answer any call unless you recognize the number or caller ID. End of story.
MCI WorldCom played this game with their long distance service.
“I can’t hear you, I’m using a scrambler.”
You say yes, I say no
You say stop and I say go go go, oh no
You say goodbye and I say hello
Hello hello
I don’t know why you say goodbye, I say hello
Hello hello
I don’t know why you say goodbye, I say hello
I say high, you say low
You say why and I say I don’t know, oh no
You say goodbye and I say hello
(Hello goodbye hello goodbye) Hello hello
(Hello goodbye) I don’t know why you say goodbye, I say hello
How do the scammers get credit card information? What form of payment is abused and how?
Something doesn’t add up here.
Since I still have a 651 area code, even though I live in Texas, I answer “Dakota County Sheriff’s Department, Deputy Mike Ganrud.”
click.
“This is Rachel from Credit Card Services....” I hate that one.
Lol!
How about, "Oklahoma Bureau Of Investigation, telephone fraud division"
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