The “can you hear me?” phone scam is back. Here’s how to protect yourself.

Can you hear me? Don’t answer that.

The Better Business Bureau issued a press release yesterday warning the public of an an age-old scam making a comeback.

It’s been deemed the "Can You Hear Me?" scam.

In the past, this scam targeted businesses. The scammer would call - even pretend to adjust the phone or headset - and ask, "Can you hear me?"

The person on the other end would likely say, "Yes, yes, I can hear you."

With this grunt of approval, scammers could twist that around to, "Yes, the nice woman said she’d purchase this bulk of office supplies." Or, "Yes, he wants to buy an ad."

Now the phone scam is back, but it’s targeting individuals. In fact, BBB says more than half of the scams reported through its BBB Scam Tracker in the past few days have been about this one.

This is what happens: Someone calls you and you pick up. Consumers say the calls have been about anything from vacation packages to cruises to warranties.

Then the operator will ask if you can hear them, and you impulsively say "yes." But you haven’t just politely answered their questions. Rather, you’ve committed to something and didn’t even know it.

What to do if you get a "Can you hear me" call:

• If someone you don't know asks "Can you hear me?" don’t say anything. Hang up.

• Stay aware of any other questions to solicit a yes. These scammers are smart; they’ll know the public has caught on and will adjust accordingly.

• Don’t answer a call from an unknown or unfamiliar number.

• Check your bank and credit card accounts on a regular basis.

If you do get a call from someone you think is a scammer, report it to BBB Scam Tracker to help warn others of your experience.

*Source: BBB

FBI issues cyber security advisory that could impact all users of Microsoft Explorer 8.

Better Business Bureau (BBB) is urging all consumers and businesses to pay close attention to a Cyber Security Advisory issued by the Federal Bureau of Investigation regarding a vulnerability in Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 8 browser (IE8) that could allow scammers to access and take over users’ computers. The risk for all users – home, business and government – is high, and BBB is urging anyone with IE8 to follow the recommended steps to address the problem.

The problem was first announced yesterday, and last night Microsoft released a temporary fix.
Here is the original overview from the FBI:

“A vulnerability has been discovered in Microsoft’s web browser, Internet Explorer, which could allow an attacker to take complete control of an affected system. Exploitation may occur if a user visits or is redirected to a web page which is specifically crafted to take advantage of the vulnerability. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could result in an attacker gaining the same privileges as the logged on user. Depending on the privileges associated with the user, an attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. Failed exploit attempts may result in a denial-of-service condition.”

Microsoft today released a workaround which acts as a temporary fix. It is available at: https://support.microsoft.com/kb/2847140. The company is working on a patch to undo the vulnerability, which does not affect other versions of IE.

“BBB recommends that everyone with Internet Explorer 8 apply the temporary fix immediately,” said Ben Steinberg, Chief Information Officer of the Council of Better Business Bureaus. “If you are not sure which version you have, try running the fix. If you don’t have IE8, the fix will stop running and let you know that your system is not at risk. Microsoft will let you know when the patch is available, and you need to download that as soon as it is.”

For more details and the fix, go to: https://support.microsoft.com/kb/2847140.

Source: BBB