you could fall into the trap of this new scam

The phone rings, you pick it up, you pick up the phone, and what’s the first thing you say? Well, in my experience, in almost 50% of the cases we lean towards the ‘Diga’ https://www.genbeta.com/”Dígame’… and in another almost 50% we opt for the much simpler and concise one ” Yeah?”.

Well, if you are one of those who usually prefers this last option, You have every chance of ending up having problems with cyber scammers..

And they have managed to find a new way – yet another – to deceive unsuspecting people thanks to telephone calls: an ingenious and dangerous scheme known as the “‘Yes’ Fraud”which takes advantage of the common tendency to respond with a simple “yes” to the phone.

A fraud whose rise has led the National Cybersecurity Institute (INCIBE) to started to warn of its “hidden risks”.

But what is the risk that differentiates choosing one word or another? Easy, criminals use this custom to obtain false consent from your victims:

“The simple act of saying ‘yes’ can become a gateway to a host of problems. By recording our voice, scammers can use it to authorize financial transactions, contracts or even falsify our identity.

Additionally, voice recordings can also be manipulated and used as evidence in situations that could put our reputation at risk.”

In this way, the scam can be reduced to something as basic and simple as the call going silent after the victim says “yes”, without anyone responding from the other side. After all, they have already recorded us. But, in most cases, it is usually something more complex than that:

Understanding the scam step by step

• The initial call: The victim receives a phone call from a scammer posing as a representative of a bank, sales company, customer service or other similar service. The scammer may use social engineering techniques to build trust, such as mentioning the victim’s basic personal information or referencing a supposedly recent transaction.
• Establish dialogue and ask questions The scammer initiates a conversation with the victim, asking seemingly harmless questions designed to elicit “yes” responses. These questions could include phrases such as “Are you authorizing transactions at this time?” or “Do you agree to receive updates on our services?”
• Recording the “yes” response. The cybercriminal patiently waits for an affirmative response from the victim and, once the victim answers “yes” to any of the questions, the scammer records this response with an application.
• Using voice recording With the voice recording in their possession, the scammer attempts to use it to carry out various fraudulent activities on behalf of the victim. This may include signing up for a banking service, signing contracts or even falsifying the victim’s identity. The scammer can contact the financial institution or company and provide the voice recording as supposed confirmation of identity.

How to react?

When you find yourself in a situation where you said “yes” via a phone call and you begin to suspect that it could be a scam attempt, it is important that you act quickly:

• Call dangle: If you suspect the call is fraudulent or simply don’t feel comfortable with the situation, simply hang up. Don’t provide any additional information and avoid prolonging the conversation.
• Check legitimacy: If the call supposedly comes from a legitimate financial institution or company, look up that organization’s official contact number and call them directly to verify the authenticity of the call. Do not use any contact details that the alleged scammer may have given you, as they could be false.

From now on, you will have to monitor your bank accounts and your online presence for a while to make sure they haven’t used your ‘statement’ against you.

Image | Pixabay + Fund created by Marcos Merino using AI

In Genbeta | The Police warn of the new scam dubbed ‘The Boss’s Call’. This is how he will try to steal your money