There have been reports of a new telephone scam in the US could be reaching UK shores , however doubts have been raised about the authenticity of the threat.
If you hear the words "can you hear me?" when answering a call from a number you don't recognise, the advice is to hang up.
Police and call-blocking companies have urged people to remain vigilant when picking up calls from an unfamiliar number, in an effort to prevent people falling victim to the scam.
According to these reports, scammers ask “can you hear me?” and then proceed to record your response to use later as a voice signature to charge you for products and services.
Is it real?
However, some experts have raised questions about the authenticity of this scam.
The Liverpool Echo reports that hoax-busting site Snopes.com has called the scam "unproven" and has questioned how the scam would work.
Snopes points out that in order to charge you, scammers would need access to your debit or credit card details.
It adds that researchers have not been able to find any situations where fraudsters could authorise charges using just a voice recording of the target saying "yes".
Keep your information safe
To stay safe, its best to follow fraud prevention advice.
Which.co.uk say you should never give out your four digit pin, including bank or police.
Keep your passwords and online banking codes secret, and do not reveal personal details unless you are sure of who you're talking to.
Keep up to date with the latest news in west London via the free getwestlondon app.
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