The "can you hear me?" scam: what's true and what to do

The phone rings, you pick up, and before you can say anything a voice asks: "Can you hear me?", "Is this John Smith?", "Am I speaking with the account holder?". Questions engineered for a single answer: "yes". According to the warning that has been doing the rounds on social media and family group chats for years, that recorded "yes" would later be used to sign you up for services in your name. It's the so-called "can you hear me?" scam — the "say yes" scam — and it deserves an honest explanation, because it mixes a myth with a real risk.

Is it true that a recorded "yes" can be used to sign contracts in my name?

Let's start with the reassuring part: an isolated "yes", recorded out of context, is not on its own enough to legally bind you to a contract. A valid telephone sign-up requires considerably more than a monosyllable: identifying the person, informing them of what they're agreeing to, and — if there's a dispute — it's the company that has to prove you gave informed consent. An audio clip of your voice saying "yes" spliced in behind a question you never heard is very weak evidence, and complaints about sign-ups you never requested tend to succeed for exactly that reason. Consumer protection agencies in several countries have noted, in fact, that confirmed losses caused purely by a recorded "yes" are hard to find.

So no, you're not "done for" because you said "yes" when you picked up. If the warning you were forwarded paints the scene as if one syllable signs contracts automatically, that part is alarmism.

Then where's the real risk?

The risk exists, but it's more concrete and less magical. The problem arises when your recorded voice is combined with your personal data, obtained from leaks or from the call itself: full name, ID or account numbers, address. With that package, an unscrupulous operator or fraudulent middleman can attempt:

• Sign-ups and switches you never asked for (in telecoms and energy this is known as slamming): suddenly your phone line, electricity or gas is with a different provider without your having requested anything, and the recorded "verbal contract" is the alibi.
• Subscriptions to paid services that show up as recurring charges on your bill or your account (sometimes called cramming).

Note the nuance: the recording isn't the key that opens the door — it's the prop used to pretend the door was opened legally. That's why the defence has two parts: don't hand over material (your voice confirming things), and above all, don't confirm personal details to strangers.

How do I recognise one of these calls?

The signals repeat:

• The call opens with a closed question: "can you hear me OK?", "is this the account holder?", "am I speaking with John Smith?". A reputable company introduces itself first.
• They keep pushing for a yes even if you answer evasively, rephrasing the question again and again.
• Nobody clearly identifies themselves: they don't say which company is calling, or they give a generic name like "the energy department" or "your provider".
• They confirm details about you that you never gave them ("I'm calling because you're on plan X, correct?"), trying to get you to validate leaked information.
• A few seconds of silence before an operator comes on: the signature of call-centre auto-dialers. If they call and nobody speaks at all, that's a related phenomenon we explain in silent calls: they call and say nothing.

When an unknown number leaves you in doubt, you can look it up in the spam number directory — these campaigns are blasted at thousands of people, and the number usually has dozens of reports already — or check where it comes from in our area and country code guide.

How do I answer without giving them anything?

There's no need to become paranoid or stop answering the phone. Three habits are enough:

1. Pick up with "hello?" or "who's calling?" instead of "yes?" or "yes, speaking". Just as polite, and it doesn't gift them the syllable.
2. Don't confirm your name to someone who hasn't identified themselves. If they ask "is this John Smith?", answer with "who's calling?" or "what is this about?". The caller is the one who should identify themselves — not you.
3. If they insist on closed questions or you sense they're fishing for a "yes", hang up. It's not rude: it's the proportionate response to someone who won't even tell you who they are. No legitimate matter is ever lost by hanging up; they'll reach you again through a verifiable channel.

And one general rule that covers this and every other dubious call: never give or confirm personal, banking or contract details to someone who called you. If the call claims to be from your provider or your bank, hang up and call the official number yourself — the same protocol we explain in how to verify whether a call or text from your bank is real.

What if I suspect I've been signed up for something?

If a welcome letter arrives from a company you don't know, a switch confirmation you never requested, or odd charges on a bill, act in this order:

1. Review your bills and statements for the last few months: energy, phone, internet, bank account. Look for sign-ups, switches or subscriptions you don't recognise.
2. Complain to the company that signed you up, in writing, and ask for a complaint reference number. Key point in your favour: they are the ones who must prove your consent — not you who must prove you didn't sign up. Ask them to produce the supposed recording or contract; if they can't demonstrate valid consent, demand cancellation without penalty and a refund of everything charged.
3. If they don't respond or reject your complaint, escalate: most countries have a telecoms ombudsman or regulator for phone and internet disputes, and consumer protection bodies for energy and other services. Keep all the paperwork.
4. If there's identity theft (they used your ID or personal data to sign contracts), also file a report with the police. The report strengthens any later claim.
5. Report the number that called you, so others recognise it in time.

Quick questions

I said "yes" when I answered one of these calls — should I worry? Not immediately. An isolated "yes" signs nothing. Keep an eye on your bills over the coming weeks and, if some strange sign-up appears, dispute it: the burden of proving consent is on the company.

Should I stop saying "yes" on the phone forever? No need. The useful habit is not giving it to strangers who won't identify themselves, and not confirming your name or details on calls you didn't initiate.

They call me several times a day with this pattern — what do I do? Block the number, report it, and don't engage. If sales calls are overwhelming you, joining your country's do-not-call register reduces lawful telemarketing, though it won't stop those already operating outside the law. You can see which numbers are most active right now on our trends page.

What if the call was silent and they hung up without a word? That's a different pattern — almost always auto-dialers verifying active lines. We cover it in silent calls.

In short

The "say yes" scam is less cinematic than the myth claims and more mundane than it looks: it's not about one magic syllable, but about call centres combining your voice with leaked data to push through sign-ups you never asked for. The defence costs nothing: answer with "hello?", don't confirm your identity to people who won't identify themselves, hang up without guilt, and glance over your bills now and then. And if something does slip through, remember the law gives you the advantage: whoever claims a contract exists has to prove it.

If you've received one of these calls, report it in the NoCall spam number directory: the more warnings a number accumulates, the sooner the next person who picks up will recognise it. And for more practical protocols against phone fraud, see our guides.