Scammer Poses As Banning Employee To Rip Utility Customers Off

BANNING, CA — Banning police on Tuesday warned the community of an ongoing scam happening across town. A man posing as a city employee has been telling residents that their utilities are about to be shut off — unless they make a payment right away.

"The scammer is telling customers that their utilities will be shut down unless they purchase an express pay card and provide that information back to the scammer," police said in a news release.

The scammer even leaves behind a believable phone number with a message that sounds legit, but is far from it.

"The callback number the scammer leaves is (951) 267-7771 and has been setup with a similar automatic message to the City of Banning’s customer service number," police said. "The caller ID has also been faked to show as if the call is coming from the City of Banning."

Police said the city would never ask for money in this manner, as payments can only be made via mail, online or in person at city hall. You can also drop a payment in the drop-box outside Banning PD. What's more, if your utilities were really about to be shut off, you'd get a notice in the mail. You can check the status of your account by calling (951) 922-3185.

Anyone who may encounter a potential scammer is asked to call the Banning Police Department at (951) 922-3170 to report the incident.

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