Crime & Safety

RMLD Customers Threatened With Power Outage by Phone Scam

Police are warning residents to be aware of the scam that is being seen nationwide.

The Reading Police Department is warning residents of a scam that previously has been seen on a national level, but is beginning to be seen locally as well.

According to police, during the scam a caller contacts the resident and represents themselves to be a member of Reading Municipal Light Department. During the phone call, the person says the resident's account is delinquent and service will be shut off unless a payment is made immediate, police added.

Residents may not immediate suspect the call is a scam because the caller uses what police called "spoofing technology" in order to ensure that the caller ID on the phone shows the name and phone number of RMLD.

"The caller might insist he is with your utility company, and may sound convincing," police said.

One piece of information that tips off that it is a scam comes when the caller will give the resident about one hour before the electricity will supposedly be shut off.

The person is ordered to buy a Green Dot MoneyPack card or another prepaid card or wire transfer before they are to call back and give the scammer access to the funds.

"It is highly unlikely that any utility company will call and threaten immediate service disconnection," said Reading Police in a press release. "It is a lengthy process that takes place, with multiple written notices being sent to the customer when the account is delinquent."

Police suspect that the calls are coming from outside the country, and that prepaid money cards are used because they cannot be traced.

Residents who receive a call like the one described are urged to hang up. Anyone with concerns about their RMLD account is asked to contact the company directly, and residents with further concerns can call the Reading Police Department at (781) 942-9192.


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