Gainesville Regional Utilities customers have reported receiving scam phone calls saying their utility bills are overdue and their services would be disconnected.
The scammers are telling customers to have a cash payment ready for someone to collect at their houses, according to a news release.
“We do not contact customers by phone to demand immediate payment,” GRU’s Customer Service Manager Mary Brown said in the release. “Customers can check their account status 24/7 by calling 352-334-3434.”
The scam is going on throughout Florida, and customers of other utility companies have been asked to make an immediate payment by debit card, according to the release.
If customers are contacted regarding payment and it seems suspicious, GRU urges them to report it to Gainesville Police.
Ashley Carlisle, who has been a GRU customer for two years, said she hadn’t heard of the scam, but when she pays her bills online, she sees warning signs on the website.
The 20-year-old UF recreation and event management sophomore said she didn’t think it was something many people would fall for.
“It’s kind of creepy,” she said. “Having people come to your door, saying you owe money would be kind of scary.”
