Telephone scammers are targeting utility customers
Roseville, Calif. – Did you get a call from (844)356-1606 purporting to be Roseville Electric? Regardless of the caller ID, did the caller tell you that your utility bill was overdue, and that your utilities would be shut off if you didn’t pay them immediately? Hang up–these are scam calls.
Telephone scammers are targeting utility customers with calls falsely claiming that their utility bills are overdue, and that they are about to be disconnected unless they pay the scammers immediately. If the customer calls the number back (this week, scammers are displaying the caller id for (844)356-1606), they’ll hear a greeting supposedly from Roseville Electric. Selecting an option for a billing question connects the caller to a scam artist who will ask for the customer’s account information and then demand immediate payment.
The City of Roseville’s utility departments (Roseville Electric Utility and Roseville Environmental Utilities) don’t call customers to solicit payments. However, we do send automated reminder calls to customers who are past due on their account. If you ever receive a call or visit from a live person claiming to be with Roseville utilities demanding immediate payment, it’s a scam. Hang up and call Roseville’s utility billing representatives at (916) 774-5300 to report the suspicious call. If someone contacts you in person claiming to be from one of the utility departments and they seem suspicious, don’t let them in, and call Roseville Police immediately.
The disconnecting of power or other utilities should never come as a surprise to utility customers. The City’s utility billing department employs a lengthy process to warn customers about delinquent bills, and never shuts off anyone’s power or other utilities until they have mailed notices and sent several automated telephone reminders to the delinquent customer.
If customers receiving an automated (“robo-call”) reminder about an overdue bill want to make an immediate payment, they can select that option using their telephone, and are then transferred to the City’s automated payment system. The automated system includes options for customers to listen to and verify their account information. Automated calls are generally made during regular business hours, not on weekends or holidays.
Customers who have any questions about an overdue bill notice are encouraged to call the utility billing customer service representatives at (916) 774-5300 during regular business hours to verify their account and ask for assistance.
