'Can You Hear Me?' Phone Scam

TEWKSBURY, MA -- Area police departments are warning residents about a new telephone scam being used to target victims and facilitate fraudulent charges.

The scam begins when a victim answers a call and the person at the end of the line asks, “Can you hear me? or “are you the homeowner” and other phrases used to elicit a “yes” answer.

The caller then records the consumer’s “yes” response and obtains a voice signature. This signature can later be used by scammers to authorize fraudulent charges via telephone acting as the victim.

According to complaints made to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the fraudulent callers might impersonate representatives from organizations that may be familiar to the victim, such as a mortgage lender or utility, to establish a reason for trying to reach the person receiving the call.

If you receive this type of call, immediately hang up. If you have already responded to this type of call, review all of your bank, credit card and telephone company statements for any unauthorized charges.

To avoid falling victim to these telephone scams, police recommend that residents follow these tips outlined by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC):

• Don’t answer calls from unknown numbers. Let them go to voicemail.
• If you answer and the caller (often a recording) asks you to hit a button to stop receiving calls, hang up. Scammers often use these tricks to identify, and then target, live respondents.
• If you receive a scam call, write down the number and file a complaint with the FCC.
###li
• Consider registering all of your telephone numbers in the National Do Not Call Registry. Access the registry ###a href="online" class="redactor-linkify-object">https://www.donotcall.gov/">on... or by calling 1-888-382-1222.

These scams can also be reported to the FTC at 877-382-4357. Anyone who has questions, concerns, or believes they are the victim of a scam can contact your local police department.