The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) and the Department of Administration (DOA) today are alerting Wisconsinites to a potential “spoofing” scam through which scammers are using the Wisconsin State Capitol Police dispatch number and impersonating law enforcement officers. “Spoofing” is when a caller ID, email address, or other form of contact identification is falsified by a scammer to trick recipients into trusting a fraudulent message.

DOA has received several reports from consumers stating they received a call from the Wisconsin State Police dispatch number, 608-266-7700, from a caller impersonating police officers. In these scam calls, the caller states that there is a warrant for the person’s arrest, they should not contact local authorities, and then the caller demands payment. In at least one instance, a scam victim sent money to the caller.

DATCP and DOA today remind Wisconsinites that the Wisconsin State Capitol Police will not make calls to threaten you with warrants or arrest. They will never demand payment over the phone, nor will they ask for your personal financial information. If you receive a call like this, just hang up.

The Wisconsin State Capitol Police and DOA are working with the federal authorities in this investigation.

For additional information and consumer protection resources or to file a complaint, visit DATCP’s Consumer Protection webpage at ConsumerProtection.wi.gov. If you have questions or believe you are a victim of a scam, report it by contacting DATCP’s Consumer Protection Hotline at 800-422-7128 or DATCPHotline@wisconsin.gov.