March 27, 2023—The Kerrville Public Utility Board (KPUB) is issuing a utility phone scam warning. Officials have received reports of its customers receiving fraudulent calls in the last few weeks that are designed to trick consumers out of money or personal information. These scams are ever-changing, but recent calls have stated that KPUB needs to change out a meter and requires immediate payment or their power will be shut off. Other reports have stated that these callers are saying that their bill has been overpaid as a way to try and collect financial information.
As a reminder, KPUB will never ask for financial information over the phone or threaten immediate shut-offs. One of the easiest ways to identify a scam is to distinguish between solicited and unsolicited contact. Scammers will contact a customer and claim to be a KPUB employee. The scammer may then threaten to disconnect their service if a payment is not made immediately or within a short period of time. Scammers may also become angry or irritated with the customer if the payment is not made.
Another tactic scammers commonly use is requesting a customer to purchase a pre-paid debit or credit card. On rare occasions, the scammer may ask for a money wire or money order.
Suspect a Scammer? Here’s what to do.
• Never give out personal, financial or electric account information if someone contacts you demanding payment.
• Hang up if you suspect you are talking to a scammer & call KPUB directly at 830.257.3050. Do not ever use a call-back number provided by an unknown caller.
• Report any suspicious phone calls or visits to your home by someone posing as a KPUB employee to KPUB and law enforcement authorities.
You can also report it online to the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov. Reporting these incidents helps to prevent future scams in our community.