Wisconsin considers cracking down on phone scammers

There oughta be a law. And soon there may be. Wisconsin lawmakers are considering cracking down on scammers who call you using a phony phone number. Many have fallen victim, answering what looks to be a familiar number, perhaps their area code, only to find the person on the other end is trying to sell them something, or give up their personal information. These scammers use a smartphone app that allows the number on the receiver’s phone to generate more official looking numbers. Some of the calls appear to come from the Wisconsin Public Service Commission, or even your local police department. But the person on the other end tells them their power will be shut off if they don’t make an immediate payment. Some people fall victim to the hoax. But currently there is no law against it in Wisconsin. Now some lawmakers have introduced a bill in the senate that would fine people up to $10,000 to misrepresent their number on caller ID. It may not be enough to stop the scam. Police say many of the calls come from outside the country, so a state law may not do much to stop it. But scams and robocalls are the number one complaint filed with the Wisconsin Department of Trade and Consumer Protection. And tax season is a peak time for scam phone calls. Let’s hope that working to end these scams is something that members of both political parties can agree on.