State consumer protection officials are warning that the number of phone calls and complaints about “Can you hear me” calls are increasing.
The calls are coming from scammers attempting to get an individual to simply say “yes.” The scammers then use the number as a confimed working phone number that is answered and resells the number to other scammers.
The word “yes” when it is said could be used by scammers for verification of fake agreements or a premise for billing people for services they did not order, according to the Consumer Protection Division of the Office of the Indiana Attorney General.
The Columbus Police Department has received about 50 complaints about the calls since Feb. 6.
Anyone who receives a call in which you don’t recognize the number should not answer the phone. If you inadvertently answer it and someone asks “Can you hear me?,” police advise to hang up the phone without saying anything.
Consumers who receive the calls should report them to the state at 800-382-5516. When making a complaint, please have the number from which you were called as these numbers are being added to a blacklist database for the state.
