Legislature to Consider Crackdown on Robocalls

AP – Scam artists who use local phone numbers to trick consumers into answering their calls could soon have a tougher time operating in Nebraska, if one state senator has his way.

The new proposal in the Legislature would add Nebraska to the growing number of states trying to clamp down on “neighborhood spoofing,” the practice of making distant calls appear as local numbers on caller IDs.

Sen. Steve Halloran, of Hastings, introduced a bill that would ban callers from sending bogus caller ID information to phones with the intent to defraud, cause harm or wrongfully obtain anything of value.

Industry officials say spoofing is a growing problem that needs to be addressed, but they contend action should be taken at the federal level.