What Is the “Say Yes” Scam and How Does It Work?

How Does the "Say Yes" Scam Work?

In a "say yes" scam, a fraudster who's usually calling from an unknown phone number tricks you into saying "yes" so they can record the answer to authorize fraudulent charges, access voice-activated accounts or otherwise victimize you.

1. You Receive an Unexpected Phone Call

The "say yes" scam starts with an unexpected phone call, typically from what appears to be a local phone number. Or it could look like it's coming from a legitimate source such as a government agency, bank, utility provider or delivery service. In both cases, these could be what are known as spoofed numbers.

Learn more: What Is Call Spoofing?

2. The Caller Asks a Simple Question

Once you answer the call, the person on the other end of the phone asks a yes-or-no question like:

• "Can you hear me?"
• "Is this John?"
• "Are you the homeowner?"

The goal: Prompt you to respond with a natural-sounding "yes." Once you've said that word, the caller typically hangs up right away.

3. The Scammer Records Your Response

When you say "yes," the scammer (perhaps an automated robocaller) records your response to generate a voice "signature."

The answer might be edited to make it sound as though you approved a major purchase. Or the caller might simply want to confirm your number is active, enabling them to target you in a future scam. The scammer may even use the recorded "yes" to fool voice-automated systems.

4. The Scammer Attempts Fraud

With your "yes" response, the scammer then can try to carry out fraud by:

• Impersonating you to authorize fraudulent transactions over the phone.
• Coupling the "yes" with other personal information, such as a credit card number, to commit identity theft. In some cases, the caller might not hang up right away but instead will draw out the conversation to obtain personal information.
• Using AI to create a near-perfect duplication of your voice to commit over-the-phone fraud.

Learn more: Common Credit Card Scams and How to Avoid Them

5. You May Receive More Scam Calls

Because a real person was on the other end of the "say yes" call, your number has been confirmed as being active, and the number can be sold to others. This, in turn, can lead to more scam calls.

How to Protect Yourself Against Scam Calls

Here are six ways to protect yourself against scam phone calls:

• Don't answer a call if you don't recognize the phone number. Just let the call go to voicemail.
• Block numbers you don't recognize.
• Hang up before saying anything.
• If a caller asks a question that might yield a "yes" answer, give a different answer, such as "I can hear you" and then hang up.
• Be on guard if you get an unexpected call from a business or government agency.
• If the caller is pretending to represent a business, government agency or another organization, contact the organization through a legitimate phone number.

What to Do if Your Identity Is Stolen in a Phone Scam

Do you believe you're the victim of identity theft due to the "say yes" scam or any other phone scam? Take these four steps:

1. Contact your financial institutions and credit card issuers right away.
2. Reach out to each of the three major credit reporting agencies—Experian, TransUnion and Equifax. You have the right to ask for a no-cost credit freeze, which limits access to your credit reports.
3. Change passwords for online accounts, such as credit card and bank accounts.
4. Report the suspected fraud to the Federal Trade Commission and your local police department.

Learn more: What Can Identity Thieves Do With Your Personal Info and How Can You Protect Yourself?

How to Stop Unwanted Phone Calls

To stop unwanted phone calls:

• Add your phone number to the National Do Not Call Registry. This restricts the kinds of organizations that can call you, most notably telemarketers.
• See whether your phone service provider or phone manufacturer offers apps or other technology to halt possible spam calls.
• Don't fully trust caller ID. Scammers can easily generate phone numbers that appear to be legitimate.

Learn more: How to Remove Your Name From Robocall Lists

The Bottom Line

The "say yes" phone scam tricks people into a recorded "yes" that fraudsters can use to authorize charges, commit identity theft or even fool voice-activated systems with AI-cloned voices. If you've been targeted by a "say yes" scam, consider signing up for free credit monitoring. You'll get real-time alerts to changes to your credit profile that could signal fraud.