The “Can you hear me now?” phone scam has caught the attention of the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, the federal agency that collects information and intelligence on mass-marketing fraud and identification theft.
Robocalls have been reported in Edmonton where someone on the other end of the line asks the question, “Can you hear me now?”
The scammers try to bait callers into answering “Yes.” The scammers take the recordings and try to make it seem like the victim has paid for some advertising, a cruise or a big-ticket item, and send them a bill.
“There’s variations to the scam — ‘Are you the homeowner?’ ‘Do you pay the household bills?’ ” said Nancy Cahill, the intake unit manager with the anti-fraud centre based in North Bay, Ont.
“Can you hear me now?” new phone scam making the rounds. (Cbc.ca)
Her advice is simple.
“Do not answer any questions that would prompt you to say ‘Yes’ from an unknown caller. If you’re not expecting the call, just hang up.”
The current scam has been reported throughout parts of Ontario. Cahill says it doesn’t take much for a caller to answer in the affirmative.
“They’re caught off guard: ‘Can you hear me?’ ‘Yes.’ And what happens is the fraudster will use your recorded voice in order to sign you up for services or products.”
Experts say you won’t know if you’ve been victimized by the scam right away. An invoice or bill often won’t appear in the mail until weeks later.
Dana DiTomaso is a digital media expert and operates Kick Point, a digital marketing agency based in Edmonton.
She says the “Can you hear me?” scam has been floating around in various formats. She remembers that years ago it was being used to offer consumers free long-distance calling.
“When telemarketers call you, that call is being recorded,” DiTomaso said.
Scammers copying real business practice
“It makes sense that this would be a type of scam where they would try and tie you into a contract.”
“Whether or not legally they could tie you into a contract is a question for a lawyer,” she said.
“But certainly if you don’t know and suddenly you have a collection agency or a fake collection agency coming after you that can be scary, and so it would probably work as scam to get money out of people.”
DiTomaso said some cell-phone providers and other legitimate businesses ask consumers to confirm their contracts verbally over the phone. And now scammers are trying to find a way to cash in on it as well.
“Scammers are always looking for the next big way to make cash and this is just another tool in their arsenal. Essentially, don’t answer your phone. Let it go to voicemail.”
Experts say if you think you’ve been scammed, check your banking record. Complaints can be filed with your local police service. Incidents can also be reported directly to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.