Danville Utilities once again is warning its customers about a phone scam involving a demand for immediate payment of utility bills. Restaurants again are the primary target.
In January, restaurants were the target of a scam in which the caller advised the restaurant owner or manager that their bill was in arrears and an immediate payment was necessary to avoid disconnection.
This time, callers are being asked to make an immediate payment online, said Carolyn Evans, director of customer service for Danville Utilities.
“We do not contact customers by phone requesting payments be made online,” Evans said Friday. “This is a scam. A customer, instead, would be notified by letter of their outstanding balance and possible disconnection of service."
Utility scams are not new. Danville Utilities urges customers never to 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, hang up and check the legitimacy of the call by contacting Central Collections at 434-799-5125 or by visiting the Charles H. Harris Financial Service Center, which is located at 311 Memorial Drive.
Danville Utilities’ website, www.danvilleutilities.com, offers a variety of approved and convenient options for bill payment.
Danville Utilities provides natural gas, water, wastewater and telecommunications services in Danville and distributes electricity to approximately 42,000 customer locations in a 500-square-mile service territory covering Danville, the southern third of Pittsylvania County, and small portions of Henry and Halifax counties.