This common four-word phone scam could cost you hundreds or thousands of dollars. Here's some expert advice on how to spot and avoid it.
If You Hear This 4-Word Phrase When You Pick Up the Phone, Hang Up Immediately
Updated on Mar. 27, 2025
Picture this: You answer the phone and the caller quickly asks a yes or no question. The urgency in their voice and the simplicity of the question naturally lead you to respond immediately. In just a matter of seconds, you’ve become the victim of a four-word phone scam, and that brief exchange could cost you hundreds or thousands of dollars.
A 2024 Trucaller Insights report found that Americans collectively lost over $25.4 billion to phone scams during the previous 12 months. “This [four-word] phone scam is particularly frightening [because] they simply rely on the human behavior of answering a quick question,” says Matthew Shirley, the vice president of client solutions at Fortalice Solutions, a cybersecurity services company.
According to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) data, phone calls were the second most commonly reported contact method for fraud in 2024. The FTC also reports that the average victim of a phone scam in 2024 lost $1,500. So, how can you avoid becoming a victim? We gathered insight from Shirley and another cybersecurity expert, Adam Gordon, an advanced security practitioner, security architect and consultant. Ahead, they explain what the four-word phone scam is, and they offer advice on how to avoid and report scam calls.
What you need to know about the four-word phone scam
What is the four-word phone scam?
The four-word phone scam involves a recorded voice that asks, “Can you hear me?” when the victim answers the call. The phrase is designed to trick the victim into responding “yes,” while the person or computer on the other end records. The scammer can then use the recording to access the victim’s accounts; when asked to authorize log-ins, make a major purchase or sign up for expensive services, the scammer impersonates the victim with the recorded “yes.”
“Just think about what someone with a recording of you saying ‘yes’ can attempt to access, unlock, change or authorize in today’s remote-centric and faceless world,” Gordon says.
How scammers use psychological triggers with four words
Scammers utilize psychological tactics to make the four-word phone scam effective. The caller is counting on a natural, human response to fear—an “amygdala hijack”—when the part of the brain involved with emotional processing overrides logical decision-making. By abruptly using the words “Can you hear me?” without any introduction or context, the scammer creates a sense of urgency. This causes the victim to quickly reply out of emotion before they have a chance to think rationally.
Scammers also employ voice modulation (varying their pitch, tone, pace and emotion) to make their recorded voice sound like a live—and often desperate—person to provoke a response from the victim.
Common phrases and variations in this scam
Scammers sometimes use variations of “Can you hear me?” to convince the victim that the connection is bad. This leads the victim to repeat “yes” and potentially say more—giving the scammer additional samples of the victim’s voice that they can then utilize to access important accounts. Common phone scams include variations like:
- “Hello … hello? Can you hear me?”
- “Sorry, the connection is bad. Can you hear me?”
- “I can’t hear you. Are you there?”
The four-word phone scam is also known as the “say yes scam” for good reason: It’s designed to get you to say yes! So it doesn’t always rely on creating a sense of urgency or faking a bad connection. Sometimes scammers use other seemingly innocent questions to get the victim to drop their guard and answer “yes” immediately. These include:
- “Is this [insert your name]?”
- “Are you the homeowner?”
- “Is this the lady/man of the house?”
How scammers use technology and AI for this scam
Scammers take advantage of technology in every step of the four-word phone scam. Here’s how.
Making the call
Robocalls, the preprogrammed phone calls that dial and deliver recorded messages, do much more work than a single person, sans technology, could do on their own. “Robocalls are incredibly cheap, costing only handfuls of dollars to send millions of calls,” Shirley says. “This leads to a surplus of scam call opportunities.”
During the call
Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) technology have enabled scammers to more convincingly imitate human speech and fool victims into believing they’re speaking with a real person. In one version of the “Can you hear me?” phone scam, the call begins with a very believable, human statement: “Sorry, I’m having issues with my headset.”
Gordon says AI is so advanced it can successfully masquerade as a human in many cases. This is especially an issue with chatbots and phone calls, where you only hear the voice or read their messages but cannot see the person.
After the call
If the scammer records you speaking, they may use the voice sample to train AI to replicate your voice. AI voice-cloning technology is so advanced now that it may only require a few seconds of your voice to realistically replicate it, and then use it to access your accounts. In a phone fraud often called the “grandparent scam,” swindlers use your cloned voice to impersonate you and trick your loved ones into sharing sensitive info or sending money.
How to avoid the four-word phone scam
While scammers are using technology to find new ways to trick their victims, you can take steps to protect yourself. Read on for some expert tips.
Avoid unfamiliar numbers
To prevent becoming a victim of this phone scam and other robocall scams, it’s best to not answer calls from unfamiliar phone numbers. If you do accidentally answer, try to hang up as quickly as possible. Pressing any numbers or responding to the caller confirms that the phone number is active, which might lead to more robocalls, Gordon says.
Don’t rely on caller ID
Even numbers that appear legit on caller ID may not be. Scammers can make a call look like it’s coming from a trusted organization or person by showing a familiar name, business, or area code on the caller ID. This is called “spoofing” and is used to gain your trust.
Think before you speak
For some people, such as job seekers, freelancers and entrepreneurs, accepting calls from unfamiliar numbers may be necessary. If you must answer unfamiliar numbers, be cautious. Scammers are counting on you to respond quickly, so think before you speak. Try to identify them and their intentions as soon as possible—without revealing your personal information.
If the caller is overly urgent or threatening, remember this is a psychological tactic, and you should hang up. “Under no circumstances should you hastily respond to their questions or give anything that is requested,” Shirley says. “Assume that any unknown party attempting to solicit payment or information may not be who they claim to be.”
If the caller asks a personal question, you can ask them why they want to know. This tactic can throw a robocall or scammer offscript.
Verify calls
If a caller claims they are from a specific organization or business, you can contact the organization or business directly on their official customer service number to verify whether they reached out to you or not.
Block unwanted calls
Gordon and Shirley suggest signing up for the National Do Not Call Registry and using a call-blocking or labeling app to screen and block unknown calls. With these apps, each caller will receive short prompts to verify their identity before the call is forwarded to your phone. Many phone carriers provide call-blocking features and you can also download security apps to block unwanted calls.
Establish a safe word
Given the advances in technology, a scammer can impersonate someone you know and trust. Create a safe word or phrase to be used only by close friends and family. Then, if you do get a frantic call from a loved one and are unsure whether it’s them or a scammer, you can quickly confirm by asking them for your secret word.
What to do if you receive a scam call
What should you do after receiving a scam call? Report it and start securing your accounts and sensitive information immediately. “The sooner you act, the better,” Gordon says.
- Report fraudulent charges. If a scammer has authorized a purchase under your name, Gordon recommends contacting the company through which the payment was made—whether that’s a credit card company, bank, money transfer app, gift card issuer or a wiring company like Western Union. Tell them about the fraudulent charge and ask if they can investigate, reverse it and issue a refund.
- Secure your accounts. Change your passwords and monitor your credit report for unusual activity. If you think a scammer might have remote access to your computer, update your computer’s security software and look for the signs your computer has been hacked.
- File complaints and reports. Gordon suggests reporting the scam call to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Be sure to give the agency the number that appeared on your caller ID when the scammer called and any number the scammer told you to call back. Even if you didn’t lose money but you want to report a suspected scam call, you can submit a report at DoNotCall.gov. You should also file a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The FTC and FCC use this data to identify, label and block illegal callers to help with phone fraud prevention. In addition, you can contribute to scam info collected by the BBB Scam Tracker by reporting your experience there as well.
About the experts
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Reader’s Digest has published hundreds of articles on personal technology, arming readers with the knowledge to protect themselves against cybersecurity threats and internet scams as well as revealing the best tips, tricks and shortcuts for computers, cellphones, apps, texting, social media and more. For this piece, Brooke Nelson Alexander tapped her experience as longtime journalists and tech reporter. We rely on credentialed experts with personal experience and know-how as well as primary sources including tech companies, professional organizations and academic institutions. We verify all facts and data and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
Sources:
- Matthew Shirley, vice president of client solutions at Fortalice Solutions, a cybersecurity services company
- Adam Gordon, an advanced security practitioner, security architect and consultant for the government, private, and public sectors
- Truecaller: U.S. 2024 Spam & Scam Report
- Federal Trade Commission: “New FTC Data Show a Big Jump in Reported Losses to Fraud to $12.5 Billion in 2024”
- Fintech Futures: “FTC data reveals US consumers lost $12.5bn to scams in 2024”
- Amygdala Hijack: Contemporary Insights into Causes, Correlates and Consequences
- Experian: “What is the ‘say yes’ scam?”
- Axios: “AI voice-cloning scams: A persistent threat with limited guardrails“
- Federal Communications Commission: “‘Grandparent’ scams get more sophisticated”
- Better Business Bureau: “The ‘Can you hear me?’ phone scam is still ringing (hint: Just hang up!)”
