Police were warning Los Angeles Department of Water and Power customers about a possible phone scam that is deceiving people into paying non-existent utility bills, authorities said on Sunday.
The scammers call customers and get them to pay water and power bills by threatening to shut their service off immediately, according to a joint news release from the Los Angeles Police Department and the LADWP.
The release offered some tips on how to avoid becoming a victim of the scam.
Customers were reminded that LADWP employees will never request any personal information over the telephone, and that payment by phone is only accepted through the Department’s voice automated payment system, according to the release.
LADWP employees also will not ask customers to purchase pre-paid cash cards from a convenience store to pay utility bills, the release said.
Any LADWP customer who is on the receiving end of a call asking for a cash card, credit card, or cash payment, or to provide personal information over the phone, should hang up and call LAPD at 1-877-275-5273 or go to their local LAPD station, according to the release.
