Quantcast

Schemes & Rip Offs: Utility Bill Scam - Valley News Live - KVLY/KXJB - Fargo/Grand Forks

Schemes & Rip Offs: Utility Bill Scam

Posted: Updated:

BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU NEWS RELEASE:

The Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota (BBB) is issuing an urgent warning to businesses and consumers about a scam claiming that President Obama will pay their utility bills through a new federal program. This bogus offer has been popping up nationwide and is now making its way into Minnesota and North Dakota.

"We've been watching this scam closely as it emerged sporadically around the country," said Dana Badgerow, President and CEO of the BBB of Minnesota and North Dakota. "Recent reports we've received indicate that it's now here and people need to be aware of the risks."

How the scam works:

Consumers have been contacted through telephone calls, fliers, social media and text messages with claims that President Obama is providing credits or applying payments to utility bills.
To receive the money, scammers claim they need the consumer's Social Security and bank routing numbers.

In return, customers are given a fraudulent bank routing number to pay their utility bills through the automated telephone payment service. The payment service initially ‘accepts' the payment but then declines it within a few days when the bank account number is discovered to be fake.

The BBB offers these tips to avoid becoming a victim of this scam:

  • Be sure to investigate any offer that sounds too good to be true by contacting the BBB at 800-646-6222 or bbb.org.
  • Never provide your Social Security number, credit card number or banking information to anyone who calls you, regardless of whom they claim to be representing.
  • If you receive a call claiming to be your utility company and feel pressured for immediate payment or personal information, hang up the phone and call the customer service number on your utility bill.
  • Always think safety first. Remember, once your personal information is out there, you don't know who will be using it or how it will be used.

People who have provided sensitive personal information in situations like this should be aware of the heightened risks of identity theft and take steps to protect themselves by visiting http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/.

For more consumer tips you can trust, visit www.bbb.org/us/Consumer-Tips/.

  • Local News

  • (CNN) Moore, Oklahoma -- Even for a city toughened by massive tornadoes, Moore has never seen this kind of devastation. The vicious tornado that ripped across central Oklahoma on Monday killed at least

    MOORE, Okla. (AP) - The state medical examiner's office has revised the death toll from a tornado in an Oklahoma City suburb to 24 people, including nine children.

  • The city of Moorhead is considering getting out of the sandbag business. City Manager Michael Redlinger says the city spent nearly half a million dollars preparing for potential flooding for this spring,
    Mayor Mark Voxland says paying for sandbags should fall to homeowners who have declined flood buyouts.
  • It's often referred to as one of the most stressful jobs, has recently made headlines, and keeps millions of people safe everyday. It's the job of an air traffic controller and it's at the University of
    It's often referred to as one of the most stressful jobs, has recently made headlines, and keeps millions of people safe everyday. It's the job of an air traffic controller and it's at the University of
Powered by WorldNow
Powered by WorldNowAll content © Copyright 2000 - 2013 WorldNow and Valley News Live. All Rights Reserved.
For more information on this site, please read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.