FYI Can You Hear Me Phone Scam

[wardmundy]

Once a simple mobile carrier catchphrase, "Can you hear me?" has been resurrected as a phone scam.

Police in several states are warning folks to simply hang up if an unknown caller asks "Can you hear me?"

The scam, which began late last year, tricks victims into saying "yes"—an affirmative command swindlers can record and use to authorize unwanted charges on a phone or utility bill or credit card, according to CBS News.

http://www.pcmag.com/news/351362/hang-up-on-can-you-hear-me-phone-scam

 

[wardmundy]

Let 'em talk to Lenny.

 

[briankelly63]

"I can hear you" instead of "yes" OR "No........I can hear you"

 

[Telcreek]

I saw this and wonder if someone can help me wrap my head around how having your recorded voice makes any difference whatsoever to a scammer. Having been a merchant for the last 15 years I can't see how a recorded "Yes" would provide any benefit to the merchant (scammer) in the face of a charge back. It's also a lot of work for the merchant (scammer) to dispute the dispute, not something your average scammer likes to be involved in, unautomated processes that take time. In card-not-present transactions, particularly where an intangible product is involved, the card bank almost always sides with the card holder in a disputed transaction... So, I don't get this scam. What am I missing? I looked for examples of how people were taken advantage of with this and it took a while since most news sources are just parroting the same thing. One however detailed part of the scam and it involved the charged contacting the merchant directly and was "blackmailed" into not resisting. This would make this just a case of this cam simply preying on the weak and uninformed. Isn't doing a charge back well known by now?