Gainesville Regional Utilities is warning business owners about a recent phone scam.
Herb Firsching, a director at GRU, said scammers generally target restaurant owners. Scammers will call during lunch hours when they are busiest, he said. They demand that the restaurant purchase a disposable debit card and make a payment within 45 minutes or be at risk of having their power shut off.
Firsching said the scam demands payment that is typically more than each customer’s balance, so businesses should check their statements before believing the calls.
Customers who suspect a scam should contact GRU directly before making a payment. Firsching said GRU never demands payment over the phone and typically notifies customers about their power being shut off through a letter in the mail.
Firsching said GRU has sent out warning emails and is in the process of making an automated phone message regarding the scam on their customer service hotline.
Gainesville Police spokesman Officer Ben Tobias said scams are common and that the issue is not limited to GRU. He said with any suspicion, hang up the phone and call the business’ listed telephone number.
[A version of this story ran on page 8 on 8/26/2014 under the headline "GRU warns of recent phone scammers"]
