A new telephone scam is showing up across the country and close to home.

Leavenworth County Attorney Todd Thompson says you should be wary of saying the word “yes” to strangers on the telephone. They could be setting you up for the bogus purchase of everything from vacation packages, and cruises, to car insurance and warranties, and other big ticket items.

“We have been receiving a lot of calls from citizens in my county on what to do about these scams,” Thompson said. “The people that have reported the scam have said the caller will pretend to fumble with their headset or say they have issues hearing and ask, “can you hear me now?”

“The goal it seems is to get the person receiving the call to say yes, which people instinctively do. That ‘yes,’ comment can then be manipulated to sound like you authorized a purchase.”

This used to be a scam to coerce businesses into purchasing office supplies they never ordered, but it is now happening to citizens.

The Better Business Bureau have advised:
· That callers should screen their calls. If it’s an unfamiliar number allow them to leave a message and return the call.
· If someone asks “can you hear me now,” do not say yes. Hang up.
· Make note of the number and report it to the bbb.org/scamtracker, which also cooperates with law enforcement agencies on issues.
· Consider joining the donotcall.gov registry. That will cut down on telemarking and sales calls.
· Check your bank and credit card statements regularly for any unauthorized purchases. Also check your phone and cellphone for bills.

Thompson said, “The people that we have received calls have felt a lot of remorse and anxiety over accepting the call and saying, “yes.” It is sad that you can’t just answer your phone now, but we can start being proactive in stopping these scams, reporting these numbers, and checking the bank accounts.”