Christopher Burke Colorado Utility Operations exec
Never give financial or personal information over the phone or through email, unless you initiated the conversation and know the identity of whom you’re dealing with. If someone calls you out of the blue and demands immediate payment or requests personal information, terminate the call immediately.
Posted: Friday, February 15, 2013 6:54 pm
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Updated: 11:09 pm, Fri Feb 15, 2013.
The Pueblo Chieftain
Black Hills Energy received several confirmed reports Friday of a phone scam attempt involving unknown parties attempting to impersonate Black Hills personnel and demanding money.
Customers receiving the calls have been threatened with a disconnection of service if the money is not paid, according to Wes Ashton, spokesman for Black Hills Energy.
“We are advising our customers to be on guard for these scams based on recent incidents of attempted fraud in Pueblo tied to suspicious individuals calling customers to represent Black Hills Energy,” Christopher Burke, vice president of the company’s Colorado Utility Operations, said. “The protection of our customers is critical to us, and we cannot stress enough that our company will never ask a customer to pay their bill in this manner.”
The scam is operated by an unknown caller telling a customer he is are behind on his utility bill and must pay a specified sum by a transfer of funds at a third-party location such as Walgreens or King Soopers or his electricity will be disconnected, according to a report Black Hills Energy received.
If the customer is not available the caller will leave a number to call back and provide banking information.
The scam has been targeted at residential customers and small businesses, according to Ashton.
Any customer who is contacted in a similar manner is encouraged to contact the Pueblo Police Department.
Black Hills recommends calling your utility provider and giving them the phone number on your monthly bill if any suspicious calls are received.
The utility provider can verify whether or not you were contacted by a legitimate employee.
“Never give financial or personal information over the phone or through email, unless you initiated the conversation and know the identity of whom you’re dealing with,” Burke said. “If someone calls you out of the blue and demands immediate payment or requests personal information, terminate the call immediately.”
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Friday, February 15, 2013 6:54 pm.
Updated: 11:09 pm.
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