BPU Warning Customers that Scams Continue to Take Place in Jamestown Area

JAMESTOWN – The Jamestown Board of Public Utilities is again warning customers to be vigilant following two more scams that have reportedly taken place in the city.

According to BPU spokesperson Becky Robbins, a person reportedly showed up at a local business recently and demanded cash to avoid a utility shut-off.

In another instance, a business received a call from a person who ask the customer to call a local phone number to pay their overdue BPU bill by phone.

Robbins says the BPU only accept phone payments through their phone system and customers have to initiate those calls. The BPU does not call you and ask you to call a local number for payment.

Also, when a customer service field representative is sent to turn off a customer, they may accept a check to avoid the shut-off, but never cash. BPU customer service field representatives also carry identification and people should ask for the identification before allowing a person in their home or giving them money of any kind.

Before the BPU can turn off service for an overdue electric bill or deposit, the utility must send a Final Termination Notice. The BPU does not send a Final Termination Notice until a customer has failed to pay a bill more than 23 days after it was mailed to the customer.

The warning by the BPU comes following a similar warning that was issued just two weeks ago.

WRFA has learned from one of the victims that the scammer who called them and claimed to be from the BPU also knew the exact amount that was owed to the BPU for his past three billing statements.  Robbins tells WRFA that at this point the utility is not aware of any type of security breach that would result in hackers having access to individual accounts but it is looking into the matter.