Austin Energy Warns Customers Of 'Burt Reynolds' Scammer

AUSTIN, TEXAS — Some municipal utility customers have been getting calls from a man identifying himself as Burt Reynolds seeking back payment on bills, city officials said in an advisory this week.

The impersonator has called a number of Austin Energy customers seeking amounts ranging from a few hundred dollars up to $1,000, according to the notice. Utility officials want customers to know two things: This is not the late actor calling them from the great beyond nor is this the way they conduct business.

So far, it appears no one has fallen for the scam, officials said. Austin Energy manages the City of Austin utility billing for water, electricity and other services, officials noted.

Officials listed five things to know about your City of Austin utility bill:

• The City of Austin Utilities Customer Contact Center does not call customers with cut-off deadlines.
• We will never ask for credit card or wire transfer information over the phone.
• We will not ask for payment with cash or gift card.
• City of Austin Utilities accepts mail-in or walk-in payments or payments online.
• If a City of Austin customer receives a phone call threatening to interrupt service, demand immediate payment, or request credit card or bank account information, hang up and dial 3-1-1 or 512-974-2000 and report the incident immediately.

Customers can make payments at the city’s two walk-in service centers or the following authorized locations: most Austin Austin H-E-B stores, ACE Cash Express, Money Box, Fiesta Mart and Randall’s.
City of Austin walk-in service centers:

• Utility Service Center (east branch) Rosewood-Zaragosa Center, 2800 Webberville Road, Suite 110, Austin, Texas 78702
• Utility Customer Service Center (north branch), 8716 Research Blvd, Suite 115, Austin, Texas 78758 (near Ohlen Road and Highway 183)

Officials then described their billing protocol: Staff at authorized locations will ask to see the customer’s utility bill statement before accepting payment. City of Austin utility customers who wish to make a utility bill payment by credit card can do so online at www.coautilities.com or by calling 800-959-7063, which connects the customer to the City of Austin’s automated utilities payment service (Bill Matrix) to make a payment via credit or debit card or electronic check. City of Austin customer service representatives may give customers this web address or phone number but will NOT ask for a customer’s credit card number to accept payment. Anyone who has received such a call and is uncertain of his or her account status can call the City of Austin Utilities Customer Contact Center at 512-494-9400.

Burt Reynolds, the iconic star of "Deliverance," "The Longest Yard" and "Smokey and the Bandit" died in Florida on Sept. 6 at the age of 82.

Click here for more information on how to avoid phone scams.

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Photo: Actor Burt Reynolds speaks during a Q&A session at the Los Angeles premiere of 'The Last Movie Star' at the Egyptian Theatre on March 22, 2018 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Michael Tullberg/Getty Images)