Another phone scam warning: If you get this phone call, do not say YES!

If you receive a call that starts with the seemingly innocent question “can you hear me?”, hang up immediately!

Scammers are using this phrase to record the word “yes” from unsuspecting people - thus obtains a voice signature.

Director of Outreach Sean Lyons says the recording can then be used by the scammers to pretend to be the consumer and authorise fraudulent charges via telephone.

The practice is known as “cramming” and is becoming more prevalent.

Here are a few ways scammers might get you to say "yes":

• Can you hear me?
• Are you the lady of the house?
• Do you pay the household phone bill?
• Do you pay the household bills?
• Are you the homeowner?

You should be skeptical of any yes or no question that has no context provided by the caller.

The safest thing to do is to just hang up.

Here's some tips for avoiding phone scams:

1. Don't answer calls from unknown numbers. Let them go to voicemail.
2. If you answer and the caller (often a recording) asks you to hit a button to stop receiving calls, just hang up. Scammers often use these tricks to identify, and then target, live respondents.
3. If you receive a scam call, write down the number and file a complaint with the police.
4. Ask your phone service provider if it offers a robocall blocking service. If not, encourage your provider to offer one.