Danville Utilities is warning its customers about a payment scam involving a threat to disconnect service within 30 minutes if payment of their utility bill is not made immediately.
The scammers are using a local phone number that is spoofed as Danville Utilities. The caller falsely claims to be with the Utilities Department and threatens to disconnect service if the customer does not make immediate payment. The customer is asked to provide a debit card or credit card number in order to make payment.
Danville Utilities does not make phone calls to customers about disconnects. Any notice of disconnection is done by mail.
Businesses often are targets of utility bill payment scams, but households appear to be the target of this scam.
Utility bill payment scams are not new. Guard against fraud. Never provide a Social Security number, credit card number or banking information to anyone requesting it unless you initiated the contact and know the identity of the person with whom you are speaking.
If you receive a call from someone you do not know and who is urging you to make a payment to Danville Utilities, capture the phone number and then hang up and contact the Division of Customer Accounts at 434-799-5125 or visit the Charles H. Harris Financial Service Center, which is located at 311 Memorial Drive.