Fake Utility Scam Costs Nutley Resident $2800, Police Say

NUTLEY, NJ — Someone swindled a Nutley resident out of $2,800 with a utility-related scam last week, authorities said.

According to the Nutley Police Department, the victim contacted officers on Sept. 4 about the scam.

The victim said a person who identified themselves as “Shahzaib Anwar,” a representative of Utility Warehouse, reached out with an offer to cut their utility bills by 50 percent. The scamster said they would pay the victim’s bills in full if they sent half of the money to the company.

The victim agreed and gave the scamster their PSE&G account number, which was paid via a checking account for $400, police said.

The victim then deposited $200 cash into a checking account as instructed by Anwar, a process that continued four more times, with the victim depositing cash into checking accounts for half of what was owed, police said.

The victim later found out that all of the checks Anwar used to pay their bills bounced, leaving the bills unpaid, police stated.

In all, the victim was defrauded of $2,800, police said.

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