Can You Hear Me Now? New Scam Wants You to Say "Yes"

CLEVELAND, OH - Be careful answering your phone. Scam artists are getting increasingly sophisticated with their schemes, and their most recent endeavor is a doozy. To boot, this reporter was nearly a victim himself.

Here's how the new scheme works. You get a call from a number you don't recognize. You answer it, there's some shuffling from the caller and then you hear someone say, "Can you hear me now?" When you say "Yes" they have you.

What's so bad about answering in the affirmative? The scam artists want to record your voice saying "Yes" to authorize charges on your phone or utility bill, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine says.

The phone numbers the calls are being made from appear local. Most frequently they'll appear as a 330 (Akron area code) or a 614 (Columbus area code) number. The callers have frequently claimed to be from a vacation giveaway or warranty company.

One of these calls came to my cell phone last week. It was a robotic recording from a 330 area code number. As a reporter, I'm prone to getting phone calls from numbers that aren't stored in my phone; which is to say, I answered.

When I picked up the phone, there was a loud noise, like someone dropping their phone, and I repeatedly said "Hello?" Before I hung up, a woman's voice said, "Oh, sorry, I was just having some trouble with my headset. Can you hear me now?"

I replied, "Yeah, I can." Then the person started to offer me a cruise to the Bahamas. Long story short, I need to buy a new swimsuit.

Life can be simpler for you. If you get a call from a strange number, don't answer it. If the person is genuinely trying to reach you, they'll leave a voicemail.

If you do pick up the phone, and who does that in 2017?, then be wary of strange calls. If the person is a robot or offering you a cruise, hang up. It's not rude, it's safe. And if you're not checking your credit card and bank statements regularly, you need to start. We live in a dangerous world of digital traps and phone-based schemes. I mean, people can steal money from you by recording you saying one simple word.

Should something ever be amiss in your bank statements, call the Attorney General's Office at 800-282-0515 or your local police department.

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