This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
St. George police on Friday warned residents of their southwestern Utah city to be wary of any telephone calls from someone claiming to represent local utilities concerning supposed billing issues.
Police Sgt. Sam Despain said a St. George business contacted his department earlier this week about such a call.
"Someone claiming to be the utility company ... demanded payment for past due bills. The business owner did the right thing and did not provide the caller with any information," Despain stated. "Instead, the business owner contacted the real utility company and confirmed that they did not owe any money."
Despain said the caller's suspected efforts to fraudulently obtain money from the business has police on the alert.
"We want the public to be aware of this scam and not fall victim to these practices," he said.
Anyone receiving such a call from a purported utility representative should avoid providing any personal information over the telephone, instead demanding the caller verify his or her claims in writing.
Then, Despain advises, immediately contact the utility company and verify with them the status of your account.
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