An alarming reason you should always hang up as soon as a stranger says “can you hear me?” on the phone has been revealed.

While you may want to know why an unknown number is calling, for fear it could be something important, answering could seriously put your personal details at risk.

Scammers can easily get hold of your phone number and take advantage of your curiosity.

There are some pretty obvious signs that someone is trying to take your money or access private information, but there are also some sneaky tricks that you might not be aware of.

Texts imitating a delivery service are often fishy as they commonly ask for your address or banking details.

Scammers use both texts and phone calls to target people. Credit: Cavan Images / Getty

Millions of people have become victims of phone scams

First Orion revealed that millions of Americans have fallen victim to phone scammers using AI to access information that allows people to steal money and identities.

One of the most dangerous scams asks a very common and seemingly innocent question using a recorded message.

All it says is: "Can you hear me?"

The simple trick question is threatening because it relies on the victim just saying “yes”, and as the message is recorded, it is highly likely it will be audible as there are no signal issues on the perpetrator's end.

The recording of you saying yes could then be used by scammers to impersonate you, using your voice saying “yes” to make purchases and access your personal information.

Matthew Shirley, director of Offensive Cybersecurity Operations at Fortalice, said: "This phone scam is particularly frightening [because] they simply rely on the human behaviour of answering a quick question.”

By answering one simple question, you could have your identity stolen. Credit: FreshSplash / Getty

There are nifty ways to prevent phone scams

As AI continues to develop rapidly and human voices are becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish from computer-generated ones, the Federal Trade Commission has listed four ways to avoid falling victim to phone scams.

If you are ever asked to “unsubscribe” over the phone, never click on the number or link to do so, as it is a way for scammers to see that your number works and you will answer their questions.

Call blocking through an app is a great way to stop unwanted calls before they even ring you. There is a list of the best ones to use on ctia.org.

Do not, under any circumstance, give information to businesses you have never heard of, even if they seem to know things about you as it is likely a trap to find out more information.

Register your phone numbers at the National Do Not Call Registry as it prevents unwanted sales calls from companies that follow the law. However, it doesn’t block calls and won’t stop calls from scammers.

Featured image credit: Tim Robberts / Getty Images

WhatsApp users are being strongly urged to delete a "dangerous" two-word message that has been linked to a widespread scam.

A warning has been issued to WhatsApp users. Credit: Cheng Xin / Getty

Sadly, with technology advancing, so are the number of way in which scammers can attempt to con us out of our hard-earned money.

Now, security experts are sounding the alarm over the return of the notorious “Hi Mum” scam - a deceptive message that’s conning people out of their money, The Mirror reported.

The message, which usually begins with the simple “Hi Mum” or “Hi Dad,” is designed to make victims believe a loved one is in trouble and needs urgent financial help.

Millions have already been lost to this emotionally manipulative trick. But now, scammers are stepping up their game using AI-generated voice messages that sound eerily like family members, making the deception even more convincing.

“We’re hearing of instances where AI voice impersonation technology is being used to create WhatsApp and SMS voice notes, making the scam seem ever more realistic,” warned Chris Ainsley, Santander’s head of fraud risk management.

“If you’re ever asked for money out of the blue on any social or communication platform, verify the request by picking up the phone," he added.

Luis Corrons, Security Evangelist at Norton, added: “Scammers aren’t hacking devices, they’re hacking emotions. These ‘Hi Mum’ messages weaponise trust, urgency, and love. And that makes them more dangerous than any malware. This scam works not because parents are careless, but because they care.”

To stay safe, experts advise:

• Call directly - Always contact the person using a number you already know.
• Watch the tone: Be cautious if the message sounds generic or impersonal.
• Question sudden financial crises: Stay calm and verify before taking any action.

Scammers are stepping up their game by using AI-generated voice messages that sound eerily like family members. Credit: Justin Sullivan / Getty

The "Hi Mum" scam isn’t the only digital danger right now.

As previously reported, the FBI and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have also issued alerts about a rapidly spreading text scam involving fake road toll fees.

Scammers are impersonating tolling agencies and texting people with claims that they owe money. The messages often include a dollar amount and a link to a fraudulent website asking for personal banking details.

"The scammy text might show a dollar amount for how much you supposedly owe and include a link that takes you to a page to enter your bank or credit card info - but it’s a phishing scam," the FTC warned.

Even more absurd, these messages have been sent to people in states without toll roads, or to individuals who don’t even drive.

One baffled user posted on X: “Scammers, we don’t have tolls in CT. Maybe try to scam someone in a state where they do have tolls.” Another wrote: “Girl, I do not drive. You think I’m dumb?”

More than just an attempt to take your money, clicking on these links could expose personal details like your driver's license number, putting you at risk of identity theft.

To stay safe, the FTC advises: Never click on links in unexpected or suspicious messages, contact official tolling agencies using verified websites or phone numbers, and report suspicious texts via your phone’s "report junk" feature or by forwarding them to 7726 (SPAM).

Once reported, delete the message and remember, no toll fees means no trouble.

Featured image credit: Artur Debat / Getty

It would appear that artificial intelligence has won its latest battle -- this time, against desperate social media users.

Yes, with the rise of technology, home recording equipment, and subscription sites, more and more men are spending their hard-earned income on raunchy photos and videos from their favorite Instagram models or Twitch streamers.

Well, it would appear that "simping" has no limits, as reports have revealed that a group of unsuspecting Reddit users were tricked into buying nudes from a woman who doesn't even exist.

Yes, as reported by The Independent, a "woman" by the name of Claudia recently took to Reddit to share a eye-catching selfie, along with the caption: "Feeling pretty today."

Male Redditors being male Redditors quickly commented on the sultry snap, with one person writing "holy cr*p you are beautiful".

"You’re looking very pretty," another added, with a third commenting: "You are absolutely gorgeous!! Will make a great trophy wife someday."

And it wasn't long before Claudia started popping up on other Reddit forums - with interest in her growing more and more - to the point where she was actually able to sell some raunchy snaps for $100.

But there was just one problem... Claudia isn't real.

The Independent reports that the hyper-realistic Claudia was actually created using the artificial intelligence (AI) tool Stable Diffusion - a deep learning, text-to-image platform that is available to the public.

And according to the people behind the scam, Claudia was able to make some successful sales before being outed by other Redditors.

"For those who aren’t aware, I’m going to kill your fantasy," one very perceptive person wrote. "This is literally an AI creation, if you’ve ever worked with AI image models and making your own long enough, you can 10000 percent tell. Sorry to ruin the surprise I guess."

By this point, the gig was up, and more and more Redditors were asking to see photos of Claudia's hands - knowing that AI struggles to create realistic-looking human hands.

Nevertheless, the people behind the scam have since stated that it was simply a "test" to see just how much modern-day AI could fool Internet users.

"You could say this whole account is just a test to see if you can fool people with AI pictures,” Claudia's creators told Rolling Stone. "You could compare it to the vtubers, they create their own characters and play as an entirely different person.

"We honestly didn’t think it would get this much traction."

I don't know if this story has left me more terrified of how far AI has come or more sympathetic to the lonely social media users out there.

Featured image credit: Reddit

A French woman believed she was dating Hollywood star Brad Pitt, only to discover she had fallen victim to an elaborate scam, ultimately costing her €830,000 ($851,000).

The 53-year-old interior designer, identified only as Anne, shared her story with French channel TF1, revealing how the deception began in September 2023 with a seemingly innocent Instagram message from an account claiming to be Pitt’s mother, Jane Etta Pitt.

The initial messages quickly shifted focus to Brad Pitt, with the alleged "mother" suggesting that Anne would be a perfect romantic match for her son.

"It is a woman like you that my son needs," the fraudster wrote, per the Metro.

The very next day, Anne was contacted by another account, supposedly Brad Pitt himself. “Hello Anne, my mother told me a lot about you. I would like to know more,” the message read.

Although she initially suspected it might be a scam, Anne admitted to feeling "flabbergasted" by the situation and was soon drawn into what she believed was a genuine connection with the actor.

"At first, I thought it was fake, but I could not understand what was happening to me," Anne explained. "After that, we would contact each other every day and we became friends."

At the time, Anne was going through a tumultuous period in her personal life, including a troubled relationship with a millionaire entrepreneur nearly two decades her senior. The scammer, posing as Pitt, exploited her vulnerability by sending poems, songs, and AI-generated photos resembling the actor.

“He knew how to talk to women; it was always very well done,” Anne recalled.

The scammer’s ploy soon turned financial. He claimed to have purchased luxury bags for Anne but insisted she cover customs fees, leading her to lose €9,000 ($9,220) initially.

The fraud escalated when the fake Pitt revealed he had kidney cancer and needed funds for treatment, reports BFM TV. The con artist alleged that his ex-wife, Angelina Jolie, had frozen his accounts, leaving him unable to access his fortune.

The fraudster sent Anne staged photos of Pitt in a hospital bed connected to an IV machine, which ultimately convinced her to transfer €830,000 ($851,000) over time.

Anne’s doubts only emerged when she saw photographs in the news of Brad Pitt with his new girlfriend, Ines de Ramon.

Realizing the scam, she reported the incident to French police, who launched an investigation in the summer of 2024.

The aftermath of the scam has taken a severe toll on Anne’s mental health. According to BFM TV, she is currently hospitalized in a clinic, battling severe depression.

This case is part of a growing trend of “Fake Brad Pitt” scams, with several similar incidents reported in Spain in 2024.

In that particular instance, five people in Spain were arrested after pretending to be none other than actor Brad Pitt to swindle two women out of €325,000 ($362,000), CNN reports.

The story highlights the devastating impact of online fraud, particularly when emotional vulnerability is exploited.

Featured image credit: Gregg DeGuire/Getty