Utility Scam Costs Greenwich Man $1,300

Friday the 13th proved to be a rather unlucky day for one central Greenwich man.

It seems that he unwittingly became the victim of a utility phone scam, losing $1,300 in the process, according to Greenwich Police.

The unidentified man reported on Nov. 13 that he had received a call from someone identifying themselves as a utility representative and “threatened to shut off the power if he didn’t pay the bill,” according to police spokesman, Lt. Kraig Gray.

“They said he owed $1,300,” Gray said. Complying with orders to pay via MoneyGram, the victim wired the money.

“He became suspicious when he contacted the power company later and they had no idea of what he was talking about,” Gray said.

“You should always verify where you are sending the money. Don’t wire money because you will never get it back,” Gray added. “Utilities, the IRS — they never call about overdue bills or money owed. They mail you a notice.”

• To sign up for breaking Greenwich news alerts and more, click here.

Gray also said, “If you send money to someone you don’t know, the police will never get your money back. If they tell you, ‘You must act now,’ that should be a red flag.”

Phone scams aren’t unusual in Greenwich. Earlier this year, a new citizen fell victim to a phone scam in which the caller threatened the man’s citizenship if he didn’t wire money to an account to pay taxes. That victim also lost $1,300.