A new phone scam has begun hitting Cazenovia residents in recent days and citizens should be on the lookout, said Cazenovia Police Chief Michael Hayes.
The scammers are saying that they represent National Grid and are calling to warn people that their power is about to be disconnected unless they pay overdue costs. They tell people to go to either Rite Aid or Kinney Drugs and purchase two, $500 payment cards — such as a Green Dot or a Western Union pre-paid credit card — and use them to transfer payments. The scammers also ask for personal information.
In an attempt to appear legitimate, the callers have been giving the address of the National Grid Cazenovia substation, 3 Clark St., as well as the phone number for that substation, as “proof” that they are official.
“Nobody should be taken in by the scammers, and people should never give out their personal information to anyone over the telephone,” Hayes said. “You can hang up and call back National Grid immediately to verify the information. Maybe there is a problem — but generally you get notices in mail before you even get phone call.”
The number of the National Grid collections department, which is also available on any National Grid bill, is 800-443-1837.
Anyone who receives this or any other suspicious calls that appear to be scams should write down the incoming phone number, call the Cazenovia Police Department and give an officer all the information they have, Hayes said.
Call the Cazenovia Police Department at 655-3276. Leave a message if an officer does not answer the phone.
Jason Emerson is editor of the Cazenovia Republican. He can be reached at [email protected].
