"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 pick up and, before introducing themselves, the caller asks: "Can you hear me?" Or "Is this the homeowner?" or "Are you Mr. Smith?" Then silence, a click, or a hang-up. Warnings about the "can you hear me" call have circulated in the US for years: the idea is that they record your "yes" to approve charges or contracts in your name. What's true and what's exaggerated? A recorded "yes" on its own is rarely enough to sign you up for anything, but these calls are still a sign that scammers are interested in your number, and there are real risks worth knowing.

What is the "yes" call?

It's a call, often automated or from a call center, designed to get a short affirmative answer: "yes," "correct," "that's me." The opening questions are always simple and natural to answer with a yes:

• "Can you hear me?"
• "Is this the account holder?"
• "Are you the homeowner?"
• "Do you pay the electric bill at this address?"

Sometimes the call ends immediately; other times it turns into a sales pitch or a scam.

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

The fear isn't entirely unfounded, but it's often exaggerated:

• Legitimate companies need more than one word. To sign you up for a service or charge you, they normally need your account or card details and a clear record of what you agreed to.
• Scammers who already have your details might use a recorded "yes" to try to back up an unauthorized charge or a change of provider you never requested, such as switching your electricity supplier or phone service. In that case, the problem is that they already had your data.
• The key protection: you can dispute any charge or contract you didn't authorize with your bank, your card issuer, or the company involved.

So what is the real risk?

• Confirming your number is active. Any answer, even "hello," tells the robocaller that a real person answers. That can bring more calls.
• Gathering information. The calls that continue often try to confirm your name, address, or who handles the bills.
• Your voice as a sample. With AI tools, a few seconds of audio can help clone a voice. That's another reason not to talk much with unknown callers.
• The scam that follows. The opening question is just the hook for an energy, warranty, health insurance, or other sales or fraud script.

How should I respond to a suspicious call?

1. Don't answer with "yes." Use other phrases: "Who's calling?" or "What is this about?"
2. Don't confirm your name, address, or account details.
3. If it's a recorded message or someone asks a yes/no question right away, hang up.
4. Don't press any keys "to be removed from the list." That usually confirms your number.
5. If it's a company you deal with, hang up and call it back using the number on your bill or card.

What if I already answered or gave details?

• Don't panic if you only said "yes": monitor your statements and bills over the coming weeks.
• Check your bank, card, phone, and utility statements for charges or changes you didn't authorize.
• If you see an unauthorized charge, dispute it with your bank or card issuer using the number on your card.
• If your utility or phone provider was switched without permission, contact your original provider and ask to reverse it. Your state's public utility commission handles complaints about unauthorized switching.
• If you gave personal information, watch for identity theft and visit IdentityTheft.gov if something looks wrong.

How do I cut down on these calls?

• Register your number with the National Do Not Call Registry. It won't stop scammers, but it reduces legitimate telemarketing calls and makes it easier to identify illegal ones.
• Use your carrier's call-blocking or spam-filtering tools and your phone's built-in "silence unknown callers" option.
• Report illegal robocalls and scam calls. USAGov explains where to complain about phone scams, robocalls, and telemarketers, and you can report fraud at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
• Report the number in NoCall, in the spam numbers directory.

Frequently asked questions

I said "yes" without thinking. Should I cancel my card? Not necessarily. A "yes" on its own doesn't give access to your card. Just keep an eye on your statements for a few weeks.

Why do they hang up right after I answer? Often they're automated systems checking which numbers are active, or predictive dialers that call more people than they have agents for.

Can they really clone my voice from a short call? It's technically possible with longer samples, but a few words are a weak sample. Still, keeping calls with strangers short is a good habit.

In short

The "can you hear me?" call is less dangerous than the legend suggests, but it's a sign to be careful: don't say "yes," don't confirm details, and hang up. Watch your statements, dispute any charge you didn't authorize, and register on the Do Not Call list. And report the number in the NoCall spam numbers directory to warn others.