Five rules for answering an unknown call

Transparency label: AI-heavy

Frank Delaney, a former fraud investigator, runs the YouTube channel Safety Senior. These are his five rules for a call from a number you do not know, from his video "Why Scammers Stay Silent for 3 Seconds When You Pick Up" of 16 August 2026. The short form is first; the full explanation, extracted by Gemini Notebook from the video's transcript, follows. A one-page notice of the short form, to print and pin beside the phone, is at https://www.anapoly.co.uk/files/five-rules-for-answering-an-unknown-call.pdf. How the notice was made is in How to deal with calls from scammers, and why rule 4 matters more than the old warnings said is in The dangers of the yes trap phone scam. What to say instead of "yes" is in The power of the counter-question.

The five rules

Unknown number? Let it ring. A real caller will leave a message. A scammer's machine will not.
If you do answer, say "hello" once, then wait. Silence for three seconds means a machine. Hang up.
Never press a button. Whatever the recording says, "press 9 to be removed" is a lie. Pressing anything brings more calls.
Do not say "yes". Your voice is being recorded. Say "go ahead" or "I'm listening" instead.
"Can you hear me?" Hang up. The question is a trick to make you say "yes".

The rules in full

Rule 1: Let unknown calls go to voicemail

The safest and most effective move is to let unrecognised numbers go to voicemail every time. Legitimate callers, such as your doctor, bank or family, will leave a message or send a text. A scammer's automated dialler usually will not leave a message, which makes your number look inactive and far less interesting on their spreadsheets.

Rule 2: The "one hello" and three-second rule

If you do decide to answer a call from a number you do not recognise, say "hello" exactly once, close your mouth, and count. If you hear only silence on the line, hang up before you count to three. Do not say "hello" again or ask "Is anyone there?". Scammers use automated software called predictive diallers. The software listens during the first second to determine whether it has caught a real human, then spends the next two seconds trying to hand you to a free agent. Speaking extra words proves you are a live, patient human, which gets your number added to the "sucker lists" that are bought and sold among scammers.

Rule 3: Never press any keypad or button

If an automated message or recording instructs you to "press one to speak to an agent" or "press nine to be removed from our list", do not touch your keypad. The "remove me" option is a lie. Pressing a button proves to the system that a cooperative, live human is on the phone, which marks your file and triggers more calls.

Rule 4: Guard the word "yes"

Be stingy with the word "yes" on any unexpected call. Scam operations record these conversations, and a clean recording of your voice saying "yes" can be used against you. If you need to answer a question, use neutral phrases such as "I'm listening" or "go ahead".

Rule 5: Hang up if asked "Can you hear me?"

If an unexpected caller asks "Can you hear me?", hang up at once. The question is a calculated trick designed to bait you into saying the word "yes".