We’ve all experienced it. Your phone rings, you answer, and… silence. You say "Hello?" a couple of times, but no one responds. Maybe you brush it off as a wrong number or a dropped call. What’s actually going on? What if that silent call is something much more alarming?

Silent calls are often the first step in a scam that can lead to phishing, identity theft, or even AI voice cloning. If you’ve been getting more of these lately, be careful. Scammers are using this tactic to confirm active phone numbers and gather data. Once you're on their list, the real scam begins.

How Does This Scamming Scheme Work?

1. Silent Call

• You receive a phone call from an unknown number

• You pick up and say, "Hello?" but there is no response

• After a few seconds of silence, the call disconnects

What is this for?

• To confirm that your phone number is active and used by a real person

• To detect any background noise or human voice, even a cough or sigh, to verify a real connection

What you should do in this situation:

• Do not answer unknown numbers and let them go to voicemail

• If you answer and hear silence, hang up immediately

2. Number Flagged

As the scammer’s system flags your number as "active" your number is then added to a scam database or sold to fraud networks.

This happens because the scammers want to build a verified list of real phone numbers for future scams, or to resell your number to robocallers, phishing scammers, as well as AI-powered fraudsters.

To avoid this from happening, please do the following:

• Block the number and report it

• Enable call-blocking features on your phone

3. Follow-up Call

A few days or weeks later, the targeted victims will usually receive another call. This time, the scammer will pretend to be someone trustworthy, such as:

• A bank’s fraud department

• A government agency 

• A family member in trouble

The scammers will try to make you believe the call is legitimate during this stage to create a sense of urgency and panic so you don’t think logically.

As a precaution, do this instead:

• If it’s a bank or government agency, hang up and call back using the official number listed on their website

• If it’s a family member asking for help, hang up and call them directly on a number you know

4. AI Voice Cloning (If You Speak)

If you speak during the silent call or phone scam, scammers may use AI (Artificial Intelligence) to record and replicate your voice. As reported by Kompas, with as little as three seconds of audio, AI can create a convincing clone of your voice to be used in impersonation scams.

What are they after by cloning your voice?

• To be able to call your family, pretending to be you, and ask for money

• Impersonate you in bank voice authentication systems

• Carry out deepfake fraud, such as fake emergencies or ransom scams

Also read: From Fiction to Reality: How Deepfakes Are Changing Our World

Important notes:

• Avoid saying "Yes," your name, or personal details

• Use a safe word with family members for identity verification

5. Phishing Attempt (If You Stay on the Call)

When the targets stay in the call long enough, the scammer will then try to extract personal information, such as:

• Date of birth

• Bank account details

• Credit card information

• Social Security Number

How do the scammers do it? They may say something like, "Your bank account has suspicious activity. Please confirm your account details to secure it." or "We are calling from your bank. Please verify your card number to prevent fraud."

What’s the goal here?

• To gather enough information to hijack the victim’s accounts

• Use fear tactics to make the victim to react quickly

Hence, it is highly essential for you to never provide personal information over the phone and to always verify the caller’s identity by calling back using an official number.

Also read: Think Before You Click! How to Spot Phishing Scams and Protect Your Data

6. Account Hijack (When the AI Voice Clone or Phishing Attempt Has Been Successful)

By this phase, scammers now have enough information to call the bank and pretend to be the victim, backed up with their stolen identity.

The scammers might:

• Request a password reset

• Change account details (phone number, email, etc.)

• Transfer money to their account

This is all done to gain full control of the victim’s bank, email, or online accounts and to lock them out before they even realize what happened.

Avoid this by:

• Setting up two-factor authentication (2FA) on your accounts

• Use strong passwords that aren’t easily guessed

Also read: Protect Your Accounts with 2FA – It's Easier Than You Think! ; Stop Making These Common Password Mistakes

7. Financial Fraud & Identity Theft

Once the scammer has full access to the victim’s bank or online accounts, they can:

• Withdraw money or transfer funds

• Open new credit cards or loans in the victim’s name

• Use the victim’s identity for other fraudulent activities

• Sell the personal data to other fraudsters

What you should do in case you’ve fallen victim:

• Monitor your bank statements for suspicious activity

• Report fraud immediately to your bank and relevant authorities

• Freeze your credit if your identity has been stolen

How to Protect Yourself from Silent Call Scams

Technology is advancing, and so are the tactics of cybercriminals. They have now evolved into sophisticated schemes that play on psychology, AI, and real-time data collection.

But while scams are evolving, so too are our defenses. Now that you’ve recognized how these phone scams work and know what to do to avoid falling victim. Here are practical steps you can take to safeguard yourself and your loved ones:

1. Never Answer Calls from Unknown Numbers

The simplest way to avoid silent call scams is to not engage in the first place. If you don’t recognize a number, it’s best to not answer. Legitimate callers (like banks, service providers, or businesses) will leave a message or reach out via official channels.

Scammers rely on your curiosity to pick up unknown calls. The moment you answer, they confirm your number is active and worth targeting. The less you engage, the safer you are.

2. Hang Up Immediately If the Call Is Silent

If you do pick up and hear silence, do not stay on the line. Many people instinctively say, "Hello? Can you hear me?" This is a mistake as silent calls are often used to detect human presence. 

3. Avoid Saying ‘Yes’ or Other Common Phrases

Some scammers don’t just want to verify your number, they want a recording of your voice. One of the most common scams involves a caller asking, "Can you hear me?" The goal is to get you to say, "Yes."

Why? Because your "Yes" response can be used as a voice authorization to approve fraudulent transactions or confirm identity theft actions. Even if the scammer doesn’t use it immediately, they might store it for later use, especially as AI-generated fraud becomes more sophisticated.

Instead of answering, stay silent and hang up.

4. Use Call-Blocking Features on Your Phone

Most modern smartphones have built-in call-blocking tools that can automatically silence calls from unknown numbers. You can also use third-party apps like Truecaller or GetContact to identify and block scam calls.

If you receive multiple scam calls from different numbers, consider enabling "Silence Unknown Callers" on iPhone or "Block Unknown Callers" on Android. This setting will send any unknown number straight to voicemail, reducing the chances of engaging with a scammer.

5. Never Share Personal Information Over the Phone

Scammers often impersonate banks, government agencies, or service providers. These tactics create urgency so that you react without thinking.

If you receive a call like this, hang up and contact the organization directly using an official number from their website, not the number that called you.

6. Set Up a Safe Word with Family

In some cases, the scammers may also use your voice clones to call your family, pretending to be you, and ask for money urgently.

A strong way to counter this is to set up a "safe word" with family members. This is a pre-agreed code that only trusted family members know. If someone calls claiming to be a loved one, ask for the safe word before responding.

7. Report Suspicious Calls

If you keep receiving silent calls, it's crucial to report these incidents to help authorities track and combat such scams. You can report to Otoritas Jasa Keuangan (OJK) or Lembaga Perlindungan Konsumen Nasional Indonesia (LPKNI) through their official channels.

Other steps:

• Reporting scam calls to your mobile carrier, which may have additional blocking tools

• Warning family members about ongoing phone scams, especially elderly relatives who are common targets

Stay Vigilant, Stay Safe

Whether it’s phishing, AI-powered voice fraud, or financial scams, fraudsters rely on your reaction. By staying aware, taking proactive steps, and knowing how these scams operate, you can protect yourself and those around you from falling victim to cybercriminals.

Also read: Cybersecurity Weakest Link: The Human Factor

For more insights on online safety, cybersecurity tips, and scam awareness, follow Cisometric on social media and stay updated on the latest threats. Together, we can build a safer digital environment.

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Reference: 

Why Phone Fraud Starts With A Silent Call

Angkat Telepon Nomor Asing Disebut Bisa Dimanfaatkan Modus Penipuan Pakai AI, Benarkah?

Cyber Bytes: The “Hello, Can You Hear Me?” Scam

Are Silent Calls Dangerous?