(February 6, 2018)—Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division is once again warning commercial customers about spoof calls from scammers who are claiming to be MLGW representatives.
Scammers have spoofed the number for MLGW’s Commercial Resource Center, 901-528-4270, as well as the CRC’s voice greeting, and are leaving voice mails and/or calling unsuspecting commercial customers with threats of service disconnection unless their bill is paid within 30 to 45 minutes. The phone number, 844-541-2490, is connected to the scam. Scammers ultimately direct their victims to make a payment via a Green Dot MoneyPack card.
At least one customer, whose bill is in good standing and had recently made a legitimate payment, lost $6,000 to this scam, which has been replicated impacting utilities across the country.
MLGW never calls customers threatening to cut off utilities to force a payment nor directs customers to make payments via Green Dot debit cards.
If you get such a call, you are urged to do the following:
- Hang up the phone.
- Never give out personal financial information over the phone.
- Call the MLGW Commercial Resource Center at 901-528-4270 if you have any concerns.
- Report it to your local police station if you have been scammed.
- Go to any of the five MLGW community business offices and speak with a credit counselor if you have problems paying your utility bill.