KC Board of Public Utilities warns of scams targeting customers

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Board of Public Utilities is warning customers of a new telephone scam that requires over-the-phone payment.

According to BPU, a scammer will call a customer saying they have overdue utility payments and demand they pay the bill over the phone within 30 minutes or their power will be shut off.

In another scenario, BPU said the caller would tell the customer they needed to hang up and call back the “finance department” to pay their utility bill or their power would be immediately shut off. The customers are then always given a fake 1-800 or 1-844 number.

BPU said it would never ask for payment or “threaten disconnection due to non-payment over the phone.” Instead, BPU will sometimes use pre-recorded messages to notify customers of possible disconnection in the future.

If you or someone you know has been targeted, BPU encourages customers to ask for the scammer’s name and then hang up. After, call the Customer Service Department at (913) 573-9190.

To learn more about scammers, BPU created a video to educate customers on fraud. Click here to watch.

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