ᴘᴏʟɪᴄᴇ ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢ: If you hear these 4 words in your phone, hang up immediately
From unwanted calls from telemarketers to wrong numbers, it’s hard to be excited these days when you hear your phone ringing. But while these calls are simply a nuisance, other calls from unknown numbers carry more serious consequences. In fact, if you ever pick up the phone and the first thing you hear is someone asks these four words: “Do you hear me?” then beware.
According to experts’ ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢ , you should definitely not respond, and instead hang up. It is most likely a ғʀᴀᴜᴅsᴛᴇʀ.
Several cases have been noted by the Federal Communications Commission, the National Authority FCC, the organizations in in charge of telephone traffic in the United States. They are now ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢ that such calls are spreading to Canada, Germany and other European countries.
The ғʀᴀᴜᴅsᴛᴇʀs record the brief conversation in which they try to get you to say the word “yes”. Once they have your voice saying this word, they can use it as a voice signature to make verbal agreements without your knowledge, writes AWM.
ABC News has previously reported about one such ᴠɪᴄᴛɪᴍ, 49-year-old Teresa Thomas from Minneapolis.
“The person on the other line sounded like a young woman,” Teresa told ABC News. “She was giggling and she said: ‘Oh, I didn’t expect you to pick up! Can you hear me?’” Thomas said. “Which, of course, if someone asks if you can hear them, I said the logical thing and I said ‘Yes.’ And she proceeded to talk.”
In worst case scenarios, the sᴄᴀᴍᴍᴇʀs can access personal bank account information.
Authorities are ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢ about this new sᴄᴀᴍ and have suggest the following tips to help ᴘʀᴏᴛᴇᴄᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀsᴇʟғ:
+ Do not answer when a number you do not recognize calls. If the call is important, they will leave a voicemail.
+ If you answer and the caller asks you to use your phone keypad, do not.
+ If you receive a call that you suspect as being a ғʀᴀᴜᴅ, write down the number and report it to the police.
ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ let your family and friends know this warning so that everyone is aware of this scam!
Source: ABC NEWS, lovethispic.com
