Aggressive Utility Scams Calling In Clarkstown

NEW CITY, NY — Clarkstown police report that scam artists are aggressively targeting O&R customers. In these calls, the fake utility employee threatens to cut off the customer's service over a phony unpaid bill.

They've been working the county all spring. In April, an employee of O&R prevented a Rockland County resident from falling victim to a con artist. She overheard a man in a pharmacy on the phone with a crook who was telling him he must pay $500 for his smart meter installation with a prepaid debit card immediately or his electric service would be shut off.

Common Scams and Frauds offers these resources and tips:

• Report telephone scams to the Federal Trade Commission, either online or by phone at 1-877-382-4357. This is the primary government agency that collects scam complaints.
• Report all robocalls and unwanted telemarketing calls to the Do Not Call Registry.
• Report caller ID spoofing to the Federal Communications Commission either online or by phone at 1-888-225-5322.

Do

• Register your phone number with the Do Not Call Registry. Calls after you're on it are likely scams.
• Be wary of callers claiming that you’ve won a prize or vacation package.
• Hang up on suspicious phone calls.
• Be cautious of caller ID. Scammers can change the phone number that shows up on your caller ID screen. This is called “spoofing.”
• Research business opportunities, charities, or travel packages separately from the information the caller has provided.

Don’t

• Don’t give in to pressure to take immediate action.
• Don’t say anything if a caller starts the call asking, “Can you hear me?” This is a common tactic for scammers to record you saying “yes.” Scammers record your “yes” response to use as proof that you agreed to a purchase or credit card charge.
• Don’t provide your credit card number, bank account information, or other personal information to a caller.
• Don’t send money if the caller tells you to wire money or pay with a prepaid debit card.

SEE ALSO:

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• Scammers Are Scaring, Extorting Millions From Your Aging Parents
• Accused Grandparent Scammer Picked Up 'Bail' Money
• Off-Duty Utility Company Employee Thwarts Scam
• Social Security Phone Scams Deluge Clarkstown Thursday
• Putnam Sheriff Warns Of Summer Phone Scam
• 'Kidnapping' Phone Scams Increasing in the Mid-Hudson Valley