Recent Scam Alerts

Wisconsin residents are receiving voicemails from someone named “Jessica” claiming to be from “Tax Consultants of America” regarding urgent tax balances or unfiled returns. This is a well documented scam — do not call back.

The caller leaves an urgent voicemail claiming there are unresolved tax balances or unfiled returns that need immediate attention, sometimes referencing a partial account number or phone number to make the message seem legitimate. The goal is to pressure you into calling back before a supposed deadline, at which point scammers will attempt to collect your Social Security number, bank account information, or other sensitive personal information.

Red flags to watch for:

• Urgent language about “time sensitive” tax matters
• A callback number that answers as a different company name than the one that called you
• Pressure to act immediately before a deadline
• Any request for personal or financial information over the phone

The IRS and legitimate tax professionals will never contact you out of the blue by phone demanding immediate action. If you have genuine concerns about your taxes, contact the IRS directly at irs.gov or call a local licensed tax professional.

If you received this call, report it to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov and the BBB at bbb.org/scamtracker.

After completing a second mortgage with us, one of our members received an official-looking letter, seemingly addressed from “Madison CU” with “IMPORTANT” marked on the front. The letter included their mortgage ID number, loan amount, county, and closing date. It wasn’t from us. Buried in the fine print was a disclosure stating the letter had no affiliation with any bank, lender, or lending institution and that all information was obtained through public records.

When you refinance or purchase a new mortgage, the new loan is recorded in your county’s property records to secure the lien. Scammers or predatory marketers monitor these public filings, pull your loan details (like the loan amount, lender’s name, or mortgage number), and send official-looking letters to scare you into buying unnecessary services.

If you have recently closed on a mortgage or refinance, watch your mailbox carefully. When in doubt, call us directly to verify.

Scammers are sending texts warning of a “Driver’s License Suspension Pending” or vague “violation details” with a demand for urgent action and a link that takes you to unofficial websites designed to steal your personal information. Some of these fake sites closely mimic official WisDOT pages. Wisconsin DMV will never text you an unsolicited payment demand. Delete the message and do not click any links.

Wisconsin DMV urges consumers to be on the lookout and follow these tips:

• Be suspicious of demands for immediate action, personal information or money.
• Do not share personal information with unsolicited emails or messages.
• If you have not signed up to receive email or text messages from DMV and receive an unsolicited text message or email from an unknown number or person, do not respond, engage with the caller or click on links.
• Sign up for account activity alerts and renewal reminders by subscribing to Wisconsin DMV’s eNotify. Like most bank accounts, you will receive confirmation of transactions on your account which alerts you of any fraudulent activities. Sign up for eNotify here: wisconsindmv.gov/enotify https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/online-srvcs/renew-licens/enotify-default.aspx

Wisconsin residents are receiving phone calls from someone impersonating their utility provider, claiming their account is overdue and threatening to disconnect service unless they pay immediately. Real utility companies contact overdue accounts multiple times by mail before ever threatening disconnection.

Wisconsin consumers or businesses who receive a message about overdue utility bills should end the call or ignore the message. After that, the consumer should verify that their utility account is not overdue by logging into their online account or calling their provider using trusted contact information from a previous bill or the company’s official website.

While recent reports mostly involve ​phone calls, consumers and businesses may also be contacted by email or text message and should approach those messages with the same skepticism.

Red flags to watch for: demands for payment via barcode at a retail store, cryptocurrency, gift cards, or wire transfers. If you get one of these calls, hang up and call your utility provider directly using the number on your bill.

Learn more at the Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection’s full post here.

Following recent severe storms in Madison, the City is warning residents about disreputable contractors going door to door offering storm repair services. These “storm chasers” pressure homeowners into quick decisions and often take payment without completing the work. Always contact your insurance provider first, hire established local contractors, and get everything in writing before any work begins.

Learn more at the City of Madison’s full post here. It includes ways to protect yourself contact information for the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.

Madison Police are seeing a surge of card thefts from unlocked vehicles near the Crunch Fitness location on Mineral Point Road and the West Towne Mall area. At least 20 cards have been stolen since the start of the year, with fraudulent purchases made within an hour of the theft in half of those cases. Always lock your car, and never leave your wallet or cards in your vehicle — even for a quick workout.

Learn more at the Madison Police Department’s full post here. 

Scammers posing as local law enforcement are calling residents and claiming they have a warrant, missed jury duty, or owe back taxes. They demand immediate payment — often directing victims to deposit cash at a cryptocurrency kiosk (Bitcoin ATM) located at a local gas station or convenience store. Once that money is deposited it is virtually untraceable and unrecoverable.

Wisconsin now has more than 700 cryptocurrency kiosks across the state, and investigations have shown that more than 9 in 10 uses of crypto kiosks are fraudulent. Governor Evers signed a new law on April 9, 2026 that puts daily transaction limits at $1,000 and requires operators to reimburse victims who report scams to law enforcement within 30 days.

The Dane County Sheriff’s Office wants residents to know that law enforcement will never ask for money over the phone or by email. If you receive a call like this, hang up immediately and call your local authorities directly using a verified number. Never deposit cash into a cryptocurrency kiosk at the direction of someone you don’t know.

Source: Dane County Sheriff’s Office — danesheriff.com | Wisconsin AB 968 — wisbusiness.com

One of our members recently received an urgent call — someone claiming the member’s grandson had been arrested and needed bail money right away. The caller sounded official and convincing, and our member unknowingly confirmed some personal information before realizing what was happening.

When the caller asked for bank account information, our member paused and said he wanted to call his credit union first. The caller became agitated, pushed urgency, and told him not to call — and that’s when our member hung up and called us instead. He did exactly the right thing.

Scammers can get a lot of information just off of someone’s social media feed, they use this information to make the story sound more legitimate. That bail money scam is often used on grandparents.

Remember: If anyone pressures you not to contact your bank or credit union, that is your biggest red flag. Hang up and call us first — always.