Worcester County Government (WCG) officials are warning the public not to speak with any caller pretending to be from WCG and demanding information and/or payment on a county water, sewer, or tax bill. The county has received a number of recent reports of scam attempts.
"WCG does not call anyone," said Public Works Deputy Director John Ross, who oversees water and wastewater operations. "We do not maintain a list of users' phone numbers, and we would never call a customer to discuss turning on or off their water. Like all other utilities, it's just not something we would do over the phone."
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recommends that individuals who receive calls from anyone claiming to be from a utility company take the following steps:
* Thank the caller for the information. Then firmly tell them you will contact the utility company directly using the number on your bill or on the company's website.
* Even if the caller insists you have a past due bill or your services will be shut off, never give banking information over the phone unless you place the call to a number you know is legitimate.
* Utility companies don't demand banking information by email or phone. And they won't force you to pay by phone as your only option.
* If the caller demands payment by gift card, cash reload card, wiring money or cryptocurrency, it is a scam. Legitimate companies don't demand payment by gift cards (like iTunes or Amazon), cash reload cards (like MoneyPak, Vanilla, or Reloadit), or cryptocurrency (like Bitcoin).
* Tell your friends and loved ones about the scam, so they can protect themselves too.
Be sure to report the fraudulent activity to the FTC or your local law enforcement agency.
Learn more about how to avoid a scam at www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-avoid-scam<http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-avoid-scam>.