KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The Kansas City Board of Public Utilities is warning its customers of scams telling people their utilities will be shut off immediately.
Multiple reports have been made about calls stating if payment is not made, services will be shut off within 30 minutes, according to BPU representatives. The caller claims to represent a local utility, and sometimes uses caller ID spoofing to convince people the call is from a real customer service number.
The caller tries to get the customer to provide credit card information or other personal information, telling the customer a check has bounced or he/she has a past due bill. Imposters will often ask customers to use a pre-paid card for payment.
BPU said it will never ask a customer to purchase a pre-paid debit card, gift card, or any form of cryptocurrency, to pay for service.
BPU said it never asks for payment over the phone or threatens to disconnect utilities due to non-payment.
BPU said customers that suspect they are being targeted by a scam need to hang up right away and call the BPU Customer Service Department at 913-573-9190.
If you feel you have been a victim of a scam, please work with your local law enforcement agency to report the crime.
Although BPU sometimes uses pre-recorded…
