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

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

You answer an unknown number and a voice, sometimes a recording, asks "Can you hear me?", "Is that Mr Smith?" or "Are you the bill payer?". You reply "yes" without thinking and, a second later, the line goes dead. Then the worry starts: have they recorded me? Can they use that "yes" to sign me up for something or take money from me? Here's what's true and what's myth, and how to deal with these calls.

What is the "yes" call?

It's a call designed to get you to say "yes" at the very start, with a question whose natural answer is yes. Sometimes it's an automated dialler checking that a real person answers. Other times it's the opener to a sales pitch or a scam. The story that has spread for years, by message chains and social media, is that criminals record your "yes" and then use it to "accept" contracts or charges in your name.

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

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

1. A single word isn't a contract. Valid agreement needs a clear offer, your details, a description of what you're 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. Phone contracts come with safeguards. For most contracts made over the phone, UK consumer law requires the trader to give you key information and confirm the contract on a durable medium, such as an email or a letter, and you usually have 14 days to cancel without giving a reason.
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 haven't given them, a recorded "yes" doesn't replace them.

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

So what is the real risk?

• You confirm your number is live. Many of these calls are automated and simply check whether someone answers. A number that picks up is worth more and tends to get more sales calls and scam attempts.
• Unwanted switches of supplier. The most concrete risk is with energy, broadband and phone providers. If during the call you give your name, address, account number or the meter details on your bill, a rogue salesperson may try to process a switch with that information. The danger isn't your "yes": it's 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 scam calls. Sometimes "can you hear me?" is just the opener for a call where someone poses as your bank, your provider or a government department to get passwords or codes out of you.

How should I respond to a suspicious call?

1. Let them speak first. If you don't recognise the number, wait for the caller to say who they are. You don't need to fill the silence.
2. Answer with something other than "yes", if it helps you feel calmer: "Who's calling, please?" or "Who's speaking?". But don't obsess: what really protects you is not giving details.
3. Don't give personal or bank details: no address, account numbers, meter details, card numbers or codes.
4. If they say they're your bank, energy supplier or network, hang up and call back on the number on your bill, your card or the official website.
5. If the line goes dead after the question, don't call back. Block the number.

What if I already answered or gave details?

• If you only said "yes" and they hung up: nothing more is needed. Block the number and, if you like, report it.
• If you gave personal details (name, address, account numbers), keep an eye on the letters and emails you receive over the following weeks. If you get confirmation of a contract you didn't agree to, contact the company in writing straight away to cancel and say you never agreed to it.
• If an energy supplier switch appears that you didn't request, contact both your current supplier and the new one immediately. Suppliers must put right switches that happen without your agreement.
• If you gave bank details or codes, call your bank at once on 159 or the number on your card.
• If you think the call was a scam, report it to Report Fraud (formerly Action Fraud) on 0300 123 2040 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, or to Police Scotland on 101, and get advice from the Citizens Advice consumer service.

How do I cut down on these calls?

• Register free with the Telephone Preference Service. It's illegal for UK companies to make unsolicited sales calls to numbers on the TPS without your consent. It won't stop criminals, but it cuts legitimate sales calls.
• Report nuisance calls to the ICO, which enforces the rules on marketing calls and texts.
• Ask your phone provider about call-blocking services, and report scam calls to it as the NCSC explains.
• Use a call filter like NoCall, which warns you when a number has already been reported by other users.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to avoid saying "yes" on the phone forever? No. It's fine to answer naturally. The real protection is not giving details or accepting offers on a call you didn't expect.

They called, I said "yes" and they hung up. Will they charge me? Very unlikely. Without your bank details, they can't charge you anything. Keep an eye on your statements as usual and report the number.

Can they clone my voice from what I said? A single word gives them little. The risk grows with long conversations. That's why it's a good idea to agree a family safe word for any urgent request for money.

Is reporting the number worth it? Yes. It helps the ICO and networks act, and it warns other people. Report it in the NoCall spam numbers directory.

In short

A "yes" on its own doesn't sign you up for anything: the real risk is the details you give. Let them speak first, don't share data, hang up and check through official channels. Register with the TPS, report nuisance calls and, if you've received one of these calls, report the number in the NoCall spam numbers directory: your warning could help someone else hang up in time.