Glendale Water & Power Warns of Phone Scam

By City News Service

Glendale's utility company warned customers Friday about a scam designed to defraud them of their money by threatening phony electric and water shutoffs.

Glendale Water & Power officials said customers have reported receiving telephone calls from phony customer service representatives threatening customers with immediate shut off of their utilities unless they pay their utility bill over the phone.

The scammers told utility customers to buy a "Green Pack Money Card" from a 7-Eleven or Rite Aid store or face immediate water or power shutoffs. Customers were then given another local phone number and a specific time to call back and provide the money card information.

Many of these callers are from overseas and once they get the money, there's no way to trace them, according to the utility.

According to the utility, the scammers were also using sophisticated spoofing software to display the utility's name or an 818 telephone number on the caller's ID, making customers believe it is a legitimate call.

Utility officials told customers their customer service representatives will never ask for payments over the phone, at a person's home or at their business.

If utility customers get these phony shutoff calls they are asked to contact Glendale Water & Power at (818) 548-3300 and then call the Glendale police at (818) 548-4911.