Madison, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) is reminding professional license holders of an older scam that is resurfacing. Wisconsin’s safety agency was contacted by several license holders this week saying they got a call from a man who claimed to be a DSPS investigator. The scammer claims there is a problem with the target’s license due to being a suspect in illegal activity. These scams can be very convincing at first. The Caller ID mimics the DSPS phone number, and the caller may provide a phony case number or badge number (DSPS investigators do not have badges or badge numbers). So, it is important to remember DSPS and state regulatory boards will never contact credential holders requesting payment to clear or restore licenses. If you receive a call, email, fax, letter, text, or other communication indicating that there are problems with your license/credential that can be resolved with immediate payment or by clicking a link or providing your email and/or password, be wary. Some good tips to remember in these cases:
- Do not provide money or personal information, even if you feel pressured, threatened, or scared.
- Hang up or ignore it.
- Report suspicious calls, texts, or emails that mention DSPS or any regulating or
credentialing board. You may file a complaint online at the FBI Internet Crime Complaint
Center or by calling 202-324-3000.
Wisconsin license holders can also check the status of their license at any time by logging in to their LicensE account or by using the public License Look-Up tool on the DSPS website to verify their license is in “active” status. You can find more information about how to identify fraudulent communications at the Scam and Fraud Tips page on the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection website, as well as the Federal Trade Commission website.
