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Resident asks Collin County commissioners about robocalls, cites school spoofing
Summary
Wylie resident Barbara Lyke told the Collin County Commissioners Court she is receiving repeated spoofed phone calls and asked whether recent federal or state laws could help stop them.
Wylie resident Barbara Lyke told the Collin County Commissioners Court she is receiving repeated spoofed phone calls and asked whether recent federal or state laws could help stop them.
"I'm asking the Commissioner's Court if they know of a bill called Stop bad robocalls act, phone scams, including the trace act," Lyke said during the court's public-comment period. She described spoofed calls that appeared to come from Wylie Independent School District and said the calls had led to bullying of students and repeated reports to local law enforcement.
Lyke said she had contacted Wylie ISD staff, including Assistant Superintendent of Student Services Scott Wynne and the district communications director (named in her remarks as Anne Harpryn), who told her the district was not placing the calls and characterized the practice as spoofing. She also said Collin County Sheriff's Department Lt. Robert Longwell recorded a report (case 21123994) after similar calls to her home at 130 Squirrel Ridge in Wylie.
A member of the court advised Lyke that a federal law enacted in late 2019 — the TRACED Act (Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence Act) — and state criminal statutes can apply to spoofing when the intent is to defraud, harass or cause harm. The court member recommended filing or following up on a police report with the Collin County Sheriff's Office and contacting elected officials for help tracking legislation. The member identified state Representative Candy Noble as the local state-law contact and U.S. Representative Keith Self as the federal contact for the district.
Lyke told the court she previously filed a police report and asked whether commissioners could monitor or provide updates on related legislation; the court member replied that county staff can monitor bills the court asks them to follow but cannot get a bill passed for a citizen.
The public comment concluded with the court advising Lyke to follow up with the sheriff's office and the appropriate legislative offices. No formal action or vote on the issue was taken by the court during the meeting.
Why it matters: Caller ID spoofing can mask the true origin of calls and has been cited in cases of fraud, harassment and threats to school communities. County officials directed the resident to law enforcement and to state and federal legislative offices for further action and clarification.
