In an opinion piece, Rachel Rickard Straus outlines a personal strategy for handling unexpected phone calls in connection with an alleged AI scam. She says that when she receives a call from an unrecognized number, she does not begin by saying “hello.” Instead, she answers the call and remains silent until the caller identifies themselves. The article presents this approach as a way to reduce the risk of engaging with automated systems or scammers that may use voice manipulation or other tactics. The piece focuses on user behavior rather than providing technical details about the scam’s methods or verification steps. It also presents the strategy as a practical precaution that can be used immediately during incoming calls, regardless of the caller’s number. Across the two sources provided, the core claim is the same: Rickard Straus avoids speaking first and waits for the caller to state who they are before responding, as a safeguard against a “terrifying new AI scam.”