BUFFALO, N.Y. - The so-called "Can You Hear Me?" phone scam is now targeting Western New Yorkers.
The Better Business Bureau of Upstate New York has received 20 reports of this new phone scam over the past two days alone, with dozens of people on WGRZ's social media channels also reporting they've received similar calls.
The unorthodox scam targets people who pick up the phone by playing a recording, posing a question along the lines of "can you hear me?" in an attempt to seem authentic and force a vocal response.
The scammers want people to say "yes" over the phone, according to Melanie McGovern, the communications director for the Better Business Bureau of Upstate New York. That way, the scammer can record the person's "yes" answer, and then potentially use it to gain their consent to purchasing a product or service they didn't even know existed.
McGovern said it's unclear what exactly the scammers are trying to make people buy.
"We don't know what the product is. We've heard vacations, job offers," McGovern said. "And we've heard from people that they're just saying, 'can you hear me? Can you hear me?'"
In addition to Upstate New York, the phone scam has been discovered in Florida, Idaho and parts of the Midwest so far, among other regions.
One WGRZ viewer reported that she received three different phone calls in relation to the "Can You Hear Me?" scam. Several social media users, commenting on the station's Facebook and Twitter pages, reported that the recorded female voice would mention having "dropped her headset" as a way to earn a response. Many people also commented that they received the calls from local 716 area codes.
But that doesn't mean scammers are placing the calls from Western New York.
"They could be calling from anywhere in the world," McGovern said, "because they can spoof the caller ID."
McGovern said it's best to just hang up if you receive this type of phone call.
If you've already received the call -- and even said "yes" in response to the recording -- it doesn't mean you're automatically in trouble.
"Unless you gave them personal identifiable info, at this point we're not sure what's going to happen," McGovern said. "But at this point, it's good to monitor accounts, monitor emails, make sure nothing looks suspicious. Or if your phone rings a lot, let it go to voicemail."
McGovern said the Better Business Bureau is working with law enforcement across the country to identify the source of the calls and figure out the scammers' motive.
A spokesperson for the Erie County Sheriff's Office said he's not aware of any reports from the public yet. The Buffalo Police Department and New York State Police did not respond to requests for comment.