Police Issue Scam Warning
Officials: Threat directed at Monmouth County businesses
Asbury Park and Ocean Township police departments have issued advisories warning of the resurgence of a scam involving individuals purporting to be representatives of Jersey Central Power and Light [JCP&L] .
“In this widespread scam, which frequently targets small businesses, a telephone caller poses as an electric utility company employee,” Ocean Township Police officials said. “In at least one case, the victim was directed to pay in person at a physical location.”
According to the officials, Monmouth County businesses have been targeted in the financial scam.
From the Asbury Park Police alert:
An individual will contact a business, usually via telephone, and tell the business that their electric account is past due and that if they do not pay the delinquent amount within 30 minutes, their electric will be turned off. The caller has the business’s JCP&L account number and information. The business is advised to pay the amount due in pre-paid debit cards [such as Green Dot or MoneyPak cards]. The caller instructs the business to obtain the cards and to call back with the card numbers, so the caller will have immediate access to the funds. In some instances, the business’s caller IDs actually makes it appear that the calls are coming from JCP&L.Often, once the scam was successful the first time, the business was targeted a second time with the same threat—that more money was due and that if not paid, the electric will be shut off.
The police officials warn that JCP&L will not call or email to demand immediate payment, threaten an imminent shutoff of electric service, or demand payment via pre-paid debit cards. If in doubt, hang up and call the utility company directly
“These JCP&L scams have thus far been reported by businesses in Belmar, Brielle, Keyport, and Red Bank,” APPD officials said. “It would not be a stretch for residents to be targeted with similar scams pertaining to their home electric service.”
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