BROOKINGS – Local businesses are being targeted by scammers posing as a utility company and are threatening to cut off service if payment isn’t received immediately, warned the Brookings Police Department.
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BROOKINGS – Local businesses are being targeted by scammers posing as a utility company and are threatening to cut off service if payment isn’t received immediately, warned the Brookings Police Department.
“This is a scam,” confirmed Laura Julius, finance and accounting manager for Brookings Municipal Utilities.
BMU filed a report with BPD on Wednesday that several businesses had contacted their office, Lt. Derrick Powers said.
“The scammer is identifying themselves as being with Brookings Municipal Utilities and is providing a name of ‘Richard Wallace’ and is calling from a phone number of 866-374-6142,” Powers said.
Julius said no one by the name of Richard Wallace works for BMU, and they would always use a local number. BMU received the first report of the scam at noon Wednesday.
“The caller is telling the business owner ... that they are behind on their utility payment and they have 30 minutes to submit payment or their service will be discontinued,” Powers said.
“During the call, the scammer will question if there’s a CVS or Wal-Mart to wire the payment,” Powers said.
BMU deals with direct payments in the customer’s normal manner, addressed to BMU, Julius said.
“We would never ask anybody to go to a third-party money transmitter and make payments to the utility,” she said, adding BMU would never request anyone to send generic gift cards or wire the payment.
“They should hang up and call the utility directly if they get that much pressure put on them for a disconnect,” Julius said.
BMU can be reached at 605-692-6325.
So far, the only reports that have come in have been from businesses.
“I don’t know if it’s anything other than businesses (being targeted),” Powers said.
He said the police are not aware of anyone who sent money to the scammers.
If anyone has information about this scam, contact the Brookings Police at 605-692-2113; contact Crimestoppers anonymously by visiting www.brookingsareacrimestoppers.com or by calling 605-692-STOP (7867).
