Telephone Scam Is Affecting Utility Customers In Portland

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Friday, August 29, 2014

Kirsten Nicolaisen, GoLocalPDX Digital Producer

Utility customers are being targeted by a nationwide telephone scam. The scammers are telling customers that they are past due on their utility account and need to pay immediately or their service will be disconnected, according to the Portland Police Bureau. 

The scammers are claiming to be with the customers' utility, or a collection agency working on behalf of the utility. 

Customers are directed to purchase a Green Dot MoneyPak or Vanilla Reload prepaid credit card and call the scammer back with the credit card number.

As soon as the scammer obtains the serial number from the prepaid card, they are able to transfer money into their own account. 

Several customers in the community have lost hundreds and thousands of dollars.  

Portland Police Bureau said that the scammers have no known access to any confidential utility customer information, and that they will often target nonnative English speakers and businesses.

Portland General Electric does not ask its customers to buy a prepaid credit card to pay bills. 

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