"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, before anyone introduces themselves, a voice asks: "Can you hear me?", "Hello, are you there?" or "Is this the account holder?". You say "yes" without thinking, and the line goes quiet or drops out. Since then, a worry has been nagging at you: could they use that "yes" to sign you up for something, or to take money from you? Here's the reality, without the alarm: a lone "yes" isn't a magic signature, but these calls aren't harmless either, and it pays to know how to handle them.

What is the "yes" call?

• A short, neutral question as soon as you answer: "Can you hear me?", "Are you there?", "Is this the account holder?".
• Silence or a hang-up right after your answer, or a recorded voice that keeps talking.
• Sometimes a sales pitch for power, broadband, a phone plan or insurance, where you're asked to confirm details "for the recording".

Can they really sign me up with a recorded "yes"?

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

1. One word isn't a contract. A valid agreement needs a clear offer, your details, a description of what you're agreeing to and your clear acceptance. A "yes" clipped from a conversation where you were asked whether you could hear them doesn't show you agreed to anything.
2. Phone and door-to-door sales come with extra rights. Under the Fair Trading Act, uninvited direct sales, such as a sales call you didn't ask for, give you special rights, including the right to cancel within a cooling-off period. Consumer Protection's Fair Trading Act page explains them. The Act also prohibits misleading sales tactics.
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.

So what's the real risk?

• You confirm your number is live. Many of these calls are automated and just check whether a person picks up. A number that answers is worth more and tends to get more sales calls and scam attempts.
• Switching your provider without your consent. The most concrete risk is with power, gas and telco retailers. If during the call you give your name, address, date of birth, or the account number or ICP number from your power bill, an unscrupulous salesperson could use those details, plus a recorded "yes", to switch you to another provider. That's known as slamming.
• Material to clone your voice. AI tools can imitate a voice from a few seconds of clear audio. A single word gives them little, but a long conversation can. The most common use of a cloned voice is calling your family pretending to be you in an emergency.
• More elaborate scam calls. Sometimes "can you hear me?" is just the opener for a call where someone pretends to be your bank, your provider or a government agency 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, say "Hello?" or "Who's calling?" and wait for them to say who they are. You don't need to obsess about never saying "yes": what matters is what you confirm afterwards.
2. Don't confirm personal details. Not your full name, date of birth, address, account or card numbers, or the numbers on your bills. A legitimate company calling you already knows who you are.
3. Don't 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 if in doubt. If there's silence, a recording or pressure to decide quickly, hang up. It isn't rude: it's phone hygiene.
5. Check it yourself. If they say they're your bank or 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 stops repeat calls, and reporting it in the spam numbers directory helps others recognise it. An app like NoCall can warn you before you answer.

What if I've already answered or given details?

• Check your bills and bank account over the coming weeks. Look for charges you don't recognise or welcome letters from companies you never signed up with.
• If a contract or switch you didn't ask for appears, complain in writing to the company, saying you didn't agree and asking for the full recording and the contract. If they don't sort it out, escalate: for phone and broadband, Telecommunications Dispute Resolution (TDR); for power and gas, Utilities Disputes. You can also report misleading sales tactics to the Commerce Commission.
• If you gave bank details or passwords, call your bank now on its official number to block your card or internet banking.
• If you think your voice has been used, tell your family never to send money because of an urgent call "from you" without checking first, for example with a family code word.
• If there's been fraud, report it to NZ Police on 105, and to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). Consumer Protection's Scamwatch explains the next steps.

How do I cut down on these calls?

• Add your number to the Do Not Call register, run by the Marketing Association, through its Do Not Call page. It's free, but it's voluntary: it reduces calls from member companies, and scammers ignore it. There's no government do-not-call list in New Zealand.
• Ask businesses to stop calling you. If a company keeps calling after you've asked it to stop, or uses your personal information in ways you didn't agree to, you can complain to it and, if it isn't resolved, to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner.
• Don't rush to answer unknown numbers. If it matters, they'll leave a message or call back.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to avoid saying "yes" on the phone forever? No. It's fine to be cautious, but the real protection is not confirming personal details and not agreeing to anything over the phone.

They called, I said "yes" and they hung up. Will they charge me? Very unlikely, unless you also gave bank or card details. Keep an eye on your bills and statements just in case.

Can they clone my voice from what I said? From one word, it's very hard. From a long conversation, it's easier. Keep calls with strangers short and set up a family code word.

Is reporting the number worth it? Yes. These campaigns call thousands of people, and reports help others recognise them before they answer.

In short

A lone recorded "yes" doesn't bind you to anything, but these calls check that your number is live and are sometimes the first step in slamming or a scam. Let the caller speak first, confirm no details, agree to nothing over the phone and check your bills. If something appears that you didn't agree to, complain in writing and escalate. And report the number in the NoCall spam numbers directory.