Residents urged to be cautious of “Can you hear me?” ‘scam’

Council has received advice regarding a current round of ‘scam’ phone calls where residents are asked “Can you hear me?”.

Even though the ‘can you hear me?’ phone scam is brief and seems harmless on the surface, it still has the potential to end in fraud.

The caller may ask the question multiple times, to which most people reply with ‘yes’, with the scammer recording the ‘yes’ response and ending the call.

The recording of the victim’s voice can then be used to authorise payments or charges in the victim’s name using voice recognition. Because it is the person’s voice authorising transactions, it makes it hard to dispute later if a victim claims they have been scammed.

Should you receive an unusual phone call and are unsure of the authenticity, residents are urged to contact the Australian Government Scamwatch website or call the Scamwatch ACCC Infocentre on 1300 795 995.

For further information see the Scamwatch website