Beware: The 'say yes' or 'can you hear me?' phone scam is back

A phone scam we first saw almost a decade ago is making a big comeback.

That's according to the Better Business Bureau, which has just issued an alert about what is known as the "say yes" scam.

The BBB says scammers may call you and claim there is a problem with the phone connection.

"Oh hi there," one scammer said in a call we captured back in 2017. "Oh I am so sorry about that, I was having a little problem with my headset."

They then ask if you can hear them now, often saying "can you hear me?"

Jackie Wilkinson believes she said "yes" when she recently received a call like this.

"He asked do you want to save money? So naturally in this day and age, who doesn't?" Wilkinson said.

Calls return for 2023

Now the Better Business Bureau says these calls are exploding again.

The BBB says if a caller asks "can you hear me?" you should just hang up.

The BBB believes these calls primarily originate from:

By saying yes you may be agreeing to make a purchase, especially if they already have your credit card number on file somewhere.
Even if they don't know who you are, in the very least you have agreed to receive more calls from those marketers, as they now consider you an active customer.

Good news: The BBB says as long as you don't give your Social Security Number, there is almost no chance of identity theft.

Just watch your credit card statements, so you don't waste your money.

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