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There are occasions when my wife, Deborah, reads one of my columns.

I’m keeping my fingers and toes crossed that this isn’t one of those time.

Last week, I received numerous unsolicited phone calls from several women. There were at least five-to-six per day….so many that I didn’t think to start jotting down their names until Thursday.

On Thursday there were calls from Amy, Samantha, Teresa, and Jolene.

Friday’s calls came from Julia, Ruth, Carmin, Hazel, and Nancy.

None bothered to inform me of their last name.

According to the caller ID, each of the calls showed a 252 area code. That’s the only reason I answered them….in my line of work I receive calls from all over eastern North Carolina. I thought these were work related calls, but I was wrong.

Leading up to my 65^th birthday, I was bombarded with unsolicited calls that were sales pitches for signing up for what basic Medicare doesn’t cover. Original Medicare includes Part A (Hospital Insurance) and Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance). Original Medicare covers things like inpatient hospital care, doctors’ services and tests, and preventive services. Original Medicare is what I’ve paid for, by way of a payroll deduction (or tax), throughout my adult life. Those funds kicked in when I reached age 65, replacing the medical insurance plan I had with my employer.

My wife and I signed up for a Medicare Advantage plan, which covers Part A, Part B, and prescription drugs….plus vision and dental services. It also covers the cost of certain medical equipment (shower safety bars, wheelchairs, walkers, hospital beds, etc.). And as an added bonus, my wife and I each have a Flex Card that covers the costs of a long list of over-the-counter medication and other useful health-related items.

Now, nearly seven years later, the phone calls keep coming, wanting me to sign-up for their “bigger-and-better” Medicare plan.

The women calling last week somehow had the exact same voice and their sales pitches were identical. “Hello, we recently sent you a letter about our Medicare plan. Did you receive it,” Amy, Samantha, Teresa, Jolene, Julia, Ruth, Carmin, Hazel, and Nancy all said.

Whatever you do upon receiving an unsolicited call is do not reply “yes” to any question.

According to Experian.com, a “say yes” call might originate from an unknown number that appears to be from a local area code. The scammer typically pretends to be a representative of a legitimate financial institution, government agency or another organization.

The scammer may also start out by saying “Can you hear me?” or “Are you the homeowner?” Their goal: Get you to utter the word “yes,” which wouldn’t be, in normal circumstances, an unusual response to those questions.

The caller then might say something along the lines of “I’m having trouble with my headset” or “I’ll call you right back.” The person on the other end of the phone may not be an actual person, though. Instead, it might be a robo-caller recording your “yes” answer, which then might be used to confirm authorization of a major purchase on your credit or debit card.

The recorded “yes” answer also might confirm that your phone number is legitimate, paving the way for future phone scams.

In the case of my callers, I told them that I had not received their letter.

“That’s okay, that’s the reason for this call,” each of them said. “We want to offer you our plan. You do have Medicare Parts A and B, right?”

Again, they’re attempting to entice a “yes” answer from me. So, I lied and told them no.

“I’m sorry but it seems you do not qualify for our plan,” they said, and then ended the call.”

On one occasion, in an effort to see how far I could get without replying yes, I replied “maybe” to their question.

“Please stay on the line for an exciting offer,” said the caller.

A few seconds later, a man with a foreign accent came on the line and ask was he speaking to Mr. Bryant? I hung up at that point, not answering “yes” to his question like he had hoped.

Experian offers sound advice in ways to protect yourself against scam phone calls.

Resist answering the phone if you don’t recognize the caller’s number.

Block unknown numbers.

If a caller asks a question that normally would lead to a “yes” answer, provide a different answer—such as “I can hear you” or “this is she”—and end the call right away. Better yet, simply hang up without saying a word.

Don’t provide personal or financial information to someone you don’t know.

Pay attention to red flags. For instance, be suspicious if you receive an unexpected call from a business or government agency. Note that Medicare does not generally contact a person at home unless they have specifically signed up for that service.

If a caller is posing as a representative of a business, government agency or another organization, reach out to that organization through a verified phone number. In the case of a possible scam involving Medicare, you can reach that agency at 1-800-MEDICARE (800-633-4227).

If you believe you’re the victim of identity theft as a result of a “say yes” scam or any other phone scam, immediately notify your financial institutions and credit card issuers.

Contact each of the three major credit reporting agencies—Experian, TransUnion and Equifax. You have the right to ask them for a credit freeze, which restricts access to your credit reports. Freezing your credit comes at no cost to you.

You are also encouraged to change passwords for your online accounts, such as bank and credit card accounts.

Also please file a report with the Federal Trade Commission and your local police department.

Experian says you can take steps to stop unwanted phone calls. They include:

Sign up for the free National Do Not Call Registry. This limits the types of organizations that can call you. Specifically, the registry is aimed at blocking calls from telemarketers.

Find out whether your phone service provider or phone manufacturer offers apps or other technology to block suspected spam calls.

Be careful with caller ID. Scammers can make legitimate-looking phone numbers pop up on caller ID.

And, finally, if you see my wife, tell her I said there are no other women in my life except for our daughter, my three co-workers, my three sisters-in-law, Aunt Dare, my nieces and great nieces, and all my female cousins!

Cal Bryant is the Editor of Roanoke-Chowan Publications. If you are not a telemarketer, contact him at cal.bryant@r-cnews.com or 252-332-7207.