BRUNSWICK COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) – Brunswick County sent out an alert Friday afternoon warning its water and sewer customers of a phone scam.
County officials said in a news release they do not call utility customers about overdue utility bills in an attempt to collect payment over the phone before disconnect. There also is not an automated system to contact customers about their accounts.
“If you receive a call from an automated system warning you that your Brunswick County utility account is overdue on payment and/or is subject to disconnection, hang up immediately,” county officials wrote in the release. “This is a scam.”
In the event a utility account is overdue, a customer’s bill serves as the notice that an account is subject to potential disconnection.
“If you receive a call that seems like a scam, report the scam to Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office at 910.253.2777,” county officials wrote. “If you are scammed out of money or personal information, call the Sheriff’s Office immediately to file a report.”
The county also provided warning signs for potential scams – common ones being social security scams, phone scams, phishing scams using emails or text messages, and unemployment benefit scams.
- Scammers PRETEND to be from an organization you know. Scammers often pretend to be contacting you on behalf of the government. They might use a real name, like the Social Security Administration, the IRS, or Medicare, or make up a name that sounds official….
