SUNSHINE Coast police have issued a warning over an elaborate phone scam
that has hit Australia shores after doing the rounds worldwide.
The “can you hear me?” phone scam has been prolific in the United States
and UK since early this year.
A call is made to a business or home number and once the person answers
the scammer simply asks “can you hear me?” several times, to which most people
answer with “yes”.
The scammer then records the “yes” response and ends the call.
The recording is then used to authorise payments or charges in the
victim’s name, a difficult task to dispute at a later date.
Sunshine Coast Police said anyone who had received calls of this nature
had “serious and legitimate reasons to be concerned”.
“We’re now sharing this post statewide as we believe it to be hitting
many areas,” police warn.
Police advice to combat this phone scam :
Spread the word - Share this information
If you receive a “can you hear me?” phone call - hang up - don’t
respond!
If you did respond with a “yes” … alert your financial institution,
begin to monitor your accounts closely ..
Source: Courier Mail
