Scammers have found a new way to steal your coins with your voice. Police in states like Virginia, Pennsylvania and Florida are receiving reports from victims who have been robbed after answering the question, ‘Can you hear me?’ on the phone.
Fox8 reports the call is masked as a telemarketer with a phone number resembling your own. After you answer, the person/robot on the other end introduces themselves while sharing information about resorts, home security systems or anything else that will spark your insurance. Then they will say, ‘Can you hear me?’ in which you will say ‘yes.’ While saying ‘yes’ is a typical reaction, your ‘yes’ will be used to book services as a verbal agreement. The scammers then threaten to take legal action if the money isn’t forked over.
The scam was originally reported by the Better Business Bureau in 2016 after victims came forward in Pittsburgh. With new victims popping up in the South, police are suggesting tips to reduce exposure to the scam. “We really want people to hear this,” said Officer Jo Ann Hughes from the Norfolk Police Department. “[We want people to] say, ‘Look, I just heard about this scam on TV,’…and to hang up.”
Some other tips are simply the ones you’ve learned from home. This means not answering unsaved numbers, confirming your phone number on the phone or sharing personal information over the phone. “A lot of times, victims do not want to come forward because they are embarrassed,” Hughes said. “They feel like, ‘It was my fault. I should have known better,’ and they are just embarrassed by it all together.”
Police have also suggested calling 911 after receiving a call.
Sketchy times guys.