A couple of dim bulbs posing as Seattle City Light bill collectors are still calling businesses around the city, threatening to plunge Seattle businesses into darkness if their owners don’t pay non-existent bills.
The scammers have put a new spin on an old scam, demanding their intended victims to go to local stores, purchase pre-paid debit cards—which are difficult to track—and to provide the pre-paid card numbers over the phone.
The scam hasn’t worked, but these con artists have been making more and more calls lately, specifically targeting restaurants around Seattle.
Today, SPD Fraud Detectives received five new cases and, since May 28th, have received reports of 15 other similar phone calls from fake City Light bill collectors. We also posted a warning about the same scam here on the Blotter in May.
If you receive a phone call from someone claiming to be a City Light bill collector, or if believe you’ve already been targeted in this scam, please contact SPD at (206) 625-5011.
You can also contact Seattle City Light customer service representatives at (206) 684-3000 if you have questions about your account.