"Can you hear me?": the call that tries to record you saying "yes"

The phone rings, you answer and a voice asks: "Can you hear me okay?", "Am I speaking to the account holder?" or "Is this [your name]?". You say "yes" almost on reflex and, a few seconds later, the call drops or carries on with a confusing offer. Then the doubt sets in: did they record my "yes" to use it against me? It is one of the most widely shared warnings on WhatsApp, and it mixes a real risk with a good deal of exaggeration. Here we explain which part is myth, which part is true and what to do.

What is the "yes" call?

The story that circulates goes like this: a scammer asks you a question whose natural answer is "yes", records that word and later presents it as proof that you agreed to a contract, a charge or a change of provider. The pattern is usually:

• A short, neutral question as soon as you pick up: "Can you hear me?", "Are you there?", "Are you the account holder?".
• Silence or a hang-up right after your answer, or a recorded voice that keeps talking.
• Sometimes a follow-up offer for electricity, gas, phone or insurance, in which you are asked to confirm details "for the recording".

These calls exist, and plenty of people get them. What deserves a calm look is what can actually be done with that "yes".

Is it true they can sign me up with a recorded "yes"?

A lone "yes", on its own, is not enough to bind you to anything. This is what matters:

1. A single word is not a contract. Valid consent requires a clear offer, your details, a description of what you are agreeing to and your explicit acceptance. A "yes" clipped from a conversation where they asked whether you could hear them proves none of that.
2. In Spain, phone contracts carry extra safeguards. Consumer law requires the company to confirm the offer in writing or on a durable medium, and as a rule you are only bound once you accept that offer in writing. On top of that, distance contracts generally give you 14 calendar days to withdraw without giving a reason. Elsewhere, check your country's consumer protection rules: many offer similar cooling-off periods.
3. A charge needs more than your voice. To bill your card or set up a direct debit they need your bank details. If you have not given them, a recorded "yes" does not replace them.

That is why the alarmist version ("they empty your account with your yes") is largely a myth. But there are real risks around these calls, and they are worth knowing.

So what is the real risk?

• You confirm your number is live. Many of these calls are automated and simply check whether a person answers. A number that picks up is worth more and tends to receive more sales calls and more scam attempts.
• Unauthorized supplier switches. The most concrete risk in Spain lies with electricity, gas and telecom retailers. If during the call you give your name, your ID number, your address or your contract code (for example the supply point code printed on your electricity bill), they can process a switch of provider with that data. The danger is not your "yes", it is the details you hand over.
• Material to clone your voice. Artificial intelligence tools can imitate a voice from a few seconds of clean audio. A single word gives them little, but a long conversation can. The most common use of a cloned voice is fooling your relatives with the "family member in trouble" scam, not signing contracts.
• More elaborate vishing calls. Sometimes "can you hear me?" is just the opener for a call in which someone poses as your bank, your provider or a government body to get passwords or codes out of you.

How should I respond to a suspicious call?

1. Let the caller speak first. If you answer an unknown number, you can say "Hello?" or "Who's calling?" and wait for them to identify themselves. There is no need to obsess over never saying "yes": what matters is what comes next.
2. Do not confirm personal details. Not your full name, ID number, address, billing details, or account or card numbers. A legitimate company calling you already knows who you are and does not need you to "confirm it for the recording".
3. Do not agree to anything over the phone. If an offer interests you, ask for it in writing and sign up yourself through the company's official channels.
4. Hang up when in doubt. If there is silence, a recording or pressure to decide quickly, hang up. It is not rude: it is phone hygiene.
5. Verify on your own. If they claim to be your bank or your provider, hang up and call the official number on your card, in the app or on your bill.
6. Block and report the number. Blocking it on your phone stops repeat calls, and reporting it in the spam numbers directory helps others recognize it. An app like NoCall can warn you before you pick up if a number has already been flagged by other users.

What if I already answered or gave details?

If you only said "yes" and they hung up, nothing serious has happened: there is nothing more to do than keep an eye out. If you gave details or think they could be used, do this:

• Check your bills and bank account over the coming weeks. Look for charges you don't recognize or welcome letters from companies you never signed up with.
• If a contract or supplier switch you didn't ask for appears, complain in writing to the company, stating that you did not consent and asking for the full recording and the contract paperwork. If you get no answer, go to your local or regional consumer office (in Spain, the consumer office of your autonomous community or town hall).
• If you gave bank details or passwords, call your bank now on its official number to block the card or your online access.
• If you suspect your voice has been used, tell your family never to send money or make transfers because of an urgent call "from you" without checking first, for example with a question only you would know the answer to.
• Get help and report it. In Spain, INCIBE's 017 helpline offers free, confidential cybersecurity advice, and the OSI website (Spain's Internet User Security Office) publishes up-to-date alerts. If there has been fraud, report it to the Policía Nacional (091) or the Guardia Civil (062). If you are being threatened or are in danger, call 112. Elsewhere, contact your national police or cybersecurity agency and your local emergency number.

How do I cut down on these calls?

• Sign up to the Lista Robinson, Spain's free advertising opt-out register, to reduce sales calls. Many countries have a similar do-not-call list.
• Remember that in Spain companies may not make sales calls to you without your prior consent or another legal basis. If you get them, you can complain to the Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD). Elsewhere, your national data protection or telecoms regulator handles these complaints.
• Don't eagerly answer unknown numbers. If it matters, they will leave a message or call back.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to avoid saying "yes" on the phone forever? No. It is a good habit not to answer strangers with an automatic "yes", but an isolated "yes" does not commit you to anything. What really needs protecting is your personal and banking information.

They called, I said "yes" and they hung up. Will they charge me? Very unlikely. To charge you they need your payment details, and to sign you up for a service they need your identification and, for a phone contract in Spain, your acceptance in writing. Watch your bills for a few weeks and, if anything looks odd, complain.

Can they clone my voice from what I said? From one word, it is hard. From a conversation of several minutes, it is more feasible. That is why it pays not to drag out calls with strangers and to agree with your family on a way to verify urgent calls.

Is reporting the number worth it? Yes. These campaigns use the same numbers on thousands of people. Every report in the NoCall spam numbers directory helps the next person know what is behind a call before they pick up.

In short

The "can you hear me?" call is real, but the fear that a recorded "yes" will turn you into a customer or empty your account is mostly a myth. The real risk lies in the details you give afterwards and in long conversations with strangers. Let them speak first, don't confirm details, don't sign up by phone, hang up when in doubt and verify through official channels. And if you get one of these calls, report it: your warning protects whoever gets it next.