New scam - don’t say yes

That "yes" thing sounds highly dubious to me, but the warning has been around for a long ti."me. I really can't imagine any bank, commercial business, etc. charging you on the basis of the word "yes" or you being liable for such charges. When you really do online transactions with your bank, or order something online, think of all the information you have to put in before any money changing takes place.

Ignore the "yes" warning; it sounds like a joke perpetrated by mischievous teenagers.

I'm neurodivergent and have a big problem with talking on the phone. Due to this, whenever my phone rings (unless I definitely know who it and feel able to use the phone at that moment), I simply ignore it. My thought is that if it's important, they'll leave a message.

rowyn

So, once they've recorded your "YES" , what proof have they that it was your voice? And how would anyone know that anyway?
And what company do you know who would take an order over the phone on the basis of you saying YES ???
Pull the other leg, it's got bells on!

As GSM says, it's your bank account details that they are after. It's not the YES - it's the cloning of your voice.

This makes sobering reading...

www.vice.com/en/article/dy7axa/how-i-broke-into-a-bank-account-with-an-ai-generated-voice

I normally let it go to answerphone if I don’t know who the caller is, but a few months ago, when DH was in hospital, I answered, in case it was the hospital calling me. It wasn’t, but it was obviously a scammer. When they asked me “How are you today?” I replied that it was not a good day, as my husband had just had a heart attack.(True) They actually apologised for ringing and put the phone down! Not a ruse I want to use again though. Actually I rarely get scam calls.

rowyn

So, once they've recorded your "YES" , what proof have they that it was your voice? And how would anyone know that anyway?
And what company do you know who would take an order over the phone on the basis of you saying YES ???
Pull the other leg, it's got bells on!

They’re interested in getting into your bank account so want to be able to pass voice recognition. Nothing to do with ordering anything over the phone.

BluebellGran

I changed my answerphone message to say ‘if I don’t recognise your number I don’t answer so please leave me a message.’

The only problem with that (I have done something similar) is there are those who don't always check their messages regularly enough to make it a 'safe' way of communicating an urgent matter.

I have never researched the facts or statistics about the detection and conviction rates of these scammers and I have the feeling that it's something we're more or less expected to live with - the onus being on us to 'stay safe'. Indeed - it's so accepted now that it's down to us that many will blame the victim rather than the culprit. Which, considering how sophisticated some of these scams and scammers are, is really quite unacceptable.

Considering that we are encouraged to do just about everything 'online' I think companies and organisations - and particularly banks - will have to do more to protect us. We'll have to accept two-step (or even more steps) verification, and whatever other processes can be put in place to keep us secure as part of the 'privilege' of managing our lives online, however onerous it feels.

I'd like to see these scammers being given hefty sentences in prison though - they are no different to the thugs who break into your home and steal everything they can lay their hands on.

Oh dear, some years ago a colleague of mine used to wind up cold callers by answering every question with 'yes' , in a long drawn out fashion implying someone with mental health issues. So his answer to asking eg his date of birth would be "y e s" until the caller gave up in despair after receiving the repeated response! However he did have an extensive repertoire of ways of responding to cold callers so hopefully will be using those instead.
Thank you to the OP for the warning, and we have also had a warning about this particular scam via our local Nextdoor network so hopefully people in wider areas have been receiving this heads-up too.

So, once they've recorded your "YES" , what proof have they that it was your voice? And how would anyone know that anyway?
And what company do you know who would take an order over the phone on the basis of you saying YES ???
Pull the other leg, it's got bells on!

I changed my answerphone message to say ‘if I don’t recognise your number I don’t answer so please leave me a message.’

I use voice recognition with my bank with no problems. You do have to put in the account number first and sometimes date of birth. This is a telephone banking account.

I have another account with a different bank using their app and they now offer finger print recognition.

Ours has been doing it for a long time. No problems.

My bank have asked me to agree to using voice recognition instead of security questions. I have refused.

My husband always asks them "Is your mother proud of you for doing this?"

People keep saying ignore an unknown number.
A few weeks ago I was away from home but had to contact my OH there and then.
For some unknown reason my phone died.
I had to borrow someone’s phone to call him. I knew he would answer as he always says what if ( see above)

M0nica

Anyone, other than the mentally impaired, who even begins a telephone conversation with an unknown person ringing out of the blue and not immediately stating clearly who they are and what they are ringing about, and you were expecting the call, deserves everything they get.

To be totally fair, in the past I have had quite genuine sounding calls from couriers, about packages I actually was expecting etc, only it wasn't real, they are somehow very clever and get enough snippits of info to sound plausible, add in busy people and trained people pleasers, dangerous cocktail, anyone is capable of being fooled, weak moment, good timing, tired not thinking.. none of us are totally foolproof

I don't pick up. Check 'who called me' and it is always a scam. Then I block the number.

We don't get scam calls anymore as they were always on the land line phone. We changed Internet and TV to BT and you don't pay for a phone line if you don't want one. We have 2 mobiles in the home so ok for emergency.

I am with you Sidelined! simple!

I was ill in bed ,feeling awful and sorting out a family funeral. I had been having issues with a council tax matter and a manager was going to call me just after 9. When my phone rang showing an apparently local number ,I picked up. It was a foreign lady saying she was from " visa" and that there had been a fraudulent attempt to take a large amount from my account. Presumably by coincidence, it was almost the same amount as I had just paid by bank transfer.
The women became very irate when I questioned her ,told me I was wasting time . She said I needed to change my settings at once and she would help me! I said " oh thank you dear ,don't worry ,my son will help. He's very good with computers. He works for the police so he will sort it out. " she went. I reported it.to my bank .

Bella23

I had an international phone call yesterday I just kept quiet until they got fed up and rang off. I am also getting a least two scams a day from Macafee to renew We are not with them. We have tried to block them but as of yet, it has not worked.
This coping of your voice is quite worrying is it to use with Ai I wonder?

If the purpose is to use my voice with AI, it will be a waste of their energy, Bella23. Neither Siri not Alexa can understand a word I say and we get very ratty with each other!!...till I gave up. It's a mystery as I was taught ferociously by DD to 'enunciate' clearly at all times....maybe that's the problem!!

Thank You for sharing 🙁

I wind up scam/sales call. I bait them and see how long I can keep the on the phone with some absurd story. My best time to date is 27 minutes. Someone was trying to sell me insurance. I convinced her that I was immortal. I told her that I was Nephilim (Genesis ....descendants of the sons of God). By the time the call ended she was convinced. I've also used this on a manic street preacher who was shouting abuse at people who didn't want to speak to him.

There are two main reasons (apart from me having a warped sense of humour) that I do this. Firstly whilst they're talking to me they're not conning someone else and secondly they usually phone from abroad but pay to use a UK phone number. This costs them money per minute therefor the longer I keep them on the phone the more it costs them.

Soozikinzi

If its an unknown number if I do pick up I just hold the phone and don't speak i always think.if it's important theyll tell me .Seems to work quite well they usually hang up .

If the call is important, the caller will leave a message.

That's our motto.

If we don't recognise the number, we don't answer the call.

On the occasions I've broken this 'rule' - the call has either been 'marketing / sales' or a 'gentleman' with an Asian accent called 'Dave' or 'James' telling me he needs remote access to my computer as he works for Microsoft and they've detected a problem with my device...

If its a number I don't know I let the answer machine pick it up. Scammers never leave a message.

If its an unknown number if I do pick up I just hold the phone and don't speak i always think.if it's important theyll tell me .Seems to work quite well they usually hang up .