The Kansas City, Kansas, Board of Public Utilities is warning customers to be aware of scams that tell residents their utilities will be shut off immediately, according to a BPU spokesman.
Multiple reports have been made about calls stating if payment is not made, services will be shut off within 30 minutes, the spokesman stated. The caller claims to represent a local utility, and sometimes uses caller ID spoofing equipment to convince victims the call is from a real customer service number, according to the spokesman.
The caller tries to get the customer to provide a credit card number or other personal information, telling the customer a check has bounced or he or she has a past due bill, according to the spokesman.
Imposters will often ask customers to use a prepaid card for payment, according to the spokesman.
BPU will never ask a customer to purchase a prepaid debit card, gift card or any form of cryptocurrency, the BPU spokesman stated.
BPU never asks for payment over the phone or threatens to disconnect utilities due to non-payment, according to the spokesman.
Customers who suspect they are being targeted by a scam need to hang up right away and call the BPU Customer Service Department at 913-573- 9190, the BPU spokesman stated.
If they feel they have been a victim of a scam, customers are asked to work with their local law enforcement agency to report the crime, according to BPU.
Although BPU sometimes uses pre-recorded messages to notify customers about future dates for possible disconnection, they do not cold-call customers to demand immediate payment, the spokesman stated.
BPU offered these tips for customers to protect themselves if they are unsure about a call, email, or visit from a utility representative:
• Never give credit or debit card, Social Security, ATM, checking or savings account numbers to anyone who comes to your door, calls, texts, or sends an email asking for information regarding your utility bill. Verify the request is authentic by either asking to see company identification or calling the BPU Customer Service Department.
• Be suspicious if you receive an email regarding your utility bill if you have not requested online communications from BPU.
• Never provide personal information via email or click any suspicious links or attachments.
BPU said electric customers have been targeted by scammers using a variety of such scam attempts for a number of years in several states besides Kansas, including Nebraska; Alabama; Arkansas; Connecticut; the District of Columbia; Florida; Louisiana; Maryland; Massachusetts; Mississippi; Missouri; New Jersey; New York; Oklahoma; Texas; Wisconsin; and New Mexico.
- Story from BPU