Charlotte County Utilities reports a phone scam is going around involving a phone caller telling customers their payment bounced and service will be disconnected unless payment is made immediately.
The caller then asks for personal checking account information.
All CCU telephone calls to customers for returned checks are automated. A live customer service representative will not call directly unless the customer initiated the call first.
All account information is public record per Florida Sunshine Law. If someone has your account number, that does not mean they represent the utility.
Never provide your Social Security or credit card numbers or banking information to anyone over the phone unless you initiated the contact and feel confident with whom you are speaking.
If you receive a call claiming to be your utility company and feel pressured for immediate payment or personal information, hang up the phone and call the customer service number on your utility bill. If after hours, nothing will happen to your service until the next business day. There is no immediate need to pay the bill.
Never allow anyone into your home to check water/sewer, electrical wiring, natural gas pipes or appliances unless you scheduled an appointment or have reported a utility problem. Always ask utility employees for identification. All utility employees wear a uniform and have county ID.
