Amidst an increase in fraud attempts, the Financial Investigations Unit of the Dallas Police Department is warning people about a fraud scheme in which the Dallas Water Utilities’ main telephone number is imitated to scam customers.
The Dallas Police Department investigations unit warns that the spoofed main line phone number, 214-651-1441, will appear on the customer’s caller ID. The scammers operate by instilling fear in existing Dallas Water Utilities customers, threatening to cut off their water service if they fail to make a payment.
Police want residents to know that real utility companies may ask for immediate payment, but they do not threaten customers to get them to pay.
Residents who receive such fraudulent calls are advised to email a complaint to http://[email protected] or call 214-671-3543. Individuals who cannot send an email can file a report at the nearest substation.
Utility phone scams, in general, can be avoided by hanging up and calling the utility company. Dallas Water Utilities or any other utility company’s contact information can be found on your bill or the utility company’s website.
Refusing to pay can also save you from sending your money down the drain. Even if your bills say you owe, it is always safer to pay as you normally would. And no matter what anyone tells you, it is never safe to give someone your credit card number or purchase a prepaid debit card and give them the card number. Giving out banking information by email or phone is very risky.
It is also important to note that Dallas Water Utilities and other utility companies will never request to be paid via gift cards, reloadable cards, or cryptocurrency. They will also never ask to have money wired to them.
Anyone who has suffered a monetary loss to a Water Utility spoofing scam or any other fraudulent scheme is urged to file a theft report with the Dallas Police Department.
More information on utility scams can be found here.