CAPE CORAL, Fla. (WINK) — A Cape Coral man is hoping more can be done to stop fraudulent robocalls and text messages.
Charles Curtis came to a WINK Listens event to share his concerns with anchor Russ McCaskey. Curtis says he is fed up with the spam and scam calls.
“The nonstop phone calls,” Curtis said.
Curtis says the problem has gotten out of control on his cell phone.
“On the cell phone, I was getting at least two to three calls per hour,” Curtis said. “So if the phone’s sitting over here, you think it’s somebody you need to answer. You go, and 99.9% of the time, I didn’t answer the cell phone.”
The issue extends beyond just phone calls. Curtis says he also receives fraudulent text messages, including ones claiming to be about toll charges.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, people reported losing $3.5 billion to imposter scams last year alone. There are steps people can take to try and reduce the calls, including registering with the FTC’s Do Not Call Registry and Florida’s registry through the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Major cell phone carriers also offer call blocker functions. However, reviews on these solutions are mixed.
Curtis says he believes more should be done to stop the people behind the calls. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier is now proposing the Florida Anti-Spam Communications Act that would give prosecutors new tools to go after scammers.
RELATED: Florida AG Uthmeier pushes bill to fight spam calls and phone farms
“They don’t even need your number,” Uthmeier said. “They have technology where they can just hit a cell tower and spam an entire region. If that is happening, it needs to be a heightened felony with mandatory jail time.”
Curtis says the more protections available, the better, because scammers are getting increasingly creative.
“I am concerned about the scams, and I think I’m doing well avoiding it,” Curtis said. “But as I say, somebody will tell you they’re doing well, and next you know, you know they’ve been scammed.”
Uthmeier has a saying to remember if you answer a call and think you are being scammed: “Don’t be shy. Say goodbye.” and hang up the phone.