The Better Business Bureau is warning people to watch out for a phone scam that tries to trick you into answering "Yes."
"What they are doing is recording your voice saying 'yes' but you don't know what you are agreeing to," said Melanie McGovern, Communications Director for the Better Business Bureau of Upstate NY.
McGovern said the concerns are the scammers will use your 'yes' answer to try and collect money for products or services that you didn't order.
Often the calls start with someone saying they from "customer service" or claim to be having problems "with my headset." The caller then asks the victim, "Can you hear me?"
7 Eyewitness News has also heard from viewers who say scammers are 'spoofing' local numbers in an attempt to steal credit card information from others.
One South Buffalo woman said she received a call promising a "complimentary" night at the Marriott Hotel, but the caller then asked for a credit card number to confirm it. The caller hung up when the intended victim refused to give any information. However, when the victim called back the number that was on her caller ID, it was answered by a Derby woman who had no idea that her T-Mobile cell phone number was spoofed by a scammer.
The Better Business Bureau said spoofing is becoming more common with scam callers as they try to trick people into thinking they are getting a local call.
The practice is illegal and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) asks the public to report any instances where a number has been spoofed with the intent to defraud, harm, or wrongly obtain anything of value.
https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/spoofing-and-caller-id
People who have lost money from a spoofed scam call should also file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/#&panel1-1
The Better Business Bureau also wants people to report problems on its Scam Tracker
https://www.bbb.org/scamtracker/us/
7 Eyewitness News Reporter Ed Reilly will have more on this problem tonight.
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