“Can you hear me?”
That’s the latest ploy of phone scammers. They’re trying to get recordings of people saying “yes” and use them to authorize fraudulent charges on people’s accounts.1
It’s just one of many different phone scams that raked in at least $493 million in 2019.2
In fact, even though we’re living in the age of the internet, 3 out of every 4 money scams happen over the phone. The average take for a successful phone scam is about $1,000.2
While you never know when the next call may be from a scammer, you can easily avoid getting taken if you know what to look for—and if you know what to do whenever you suspect a scam.
Practically any scam can occur over the phone. That includes imposter scams, prize scams, job opportunity scams, and even romance scams.
No matter how phone scammers present themselves, however, they rely on the same key tactics as most con artists.
They want you to act now, and they’ll do anything to keep you on the line. To do that, they usually rely on extreme excitement or fear, using promises or threats to get your money or information.