Nutley Police: Another Local Business Scammed By Fake PSEG Bill Collectors

NUTLEY, NJ — Nutley police say that seven local businesses have now fallen prey to the same, fake PSE&G billing scam.

According to the Nutley Police Department, officers responded to a local business on Sept. 13 on a report of a fraud. The owner told officers that the incident began when one of their employees received a call from a person who identified himself as “Lucas.”

The caller said that they were a PSE&G representative and told the business owner that if they didn’t pay $1,500 their service would be shut off, authorities said.

According to Nutley police:

“The employee was advised to purchase MoneyPak cards and to provide the numbers on the back of the card to Lucas. The cards were purchased and code numbers given to the actor. Shortly after, another call came in from [a person that identified as] ‘Cindy Johnson,’ a manager at PSE&G, who stated $1,995 was still owed. The employee purchased the MoneyPak cards and provided the numbers to ‘Ms. Johnson.’”

According to police, the total loss for the business owner including card fees came to $3,536.

Nutley police advised the owner that the incident was a scam. Officers then tried to request refunds for the MoneyPak cards and contact the callers, both with negative results.

Nutley police issued the following statement about similar incidents in the township:

“This is approximately the seventh business within the township that paid the fees requested. Chief Strumolo advises to contact your actual utility company to confirm any delinquent accounts, and always be cautious of calls. Most legitimate providers send correspondence and rarely contact by phone.”

• See related article: Bloomfield Restaurant Sees ‘PSEG Scam’ Attempt, Owner Says

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