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SALT LAKE CITY — An old scam is popping up again in the cold weather near the holidays. A caller tries to make people believe their utility service will be cut off unless they pay quickly.
Bob Daskalakis, owner of the Greek City Grill in Holladay, said he got called twice and did not fall for it, but he can see how others might. He said a caller claimed they were from the gas company and said he needed to pay up.
"Certainly they catch you in the middle of the business day, where not to be an inconvenience to you to shut off your power or gas you are going to make that payment over the phone," Daskalakis said.
He said the phone connection was sketchy and the caller wasn't very professional.
"I questioned that immediately and asked to speak to a supervisor. They did not connect me and told me he was unavailable," Daskalakis said.
Later, different people called saying they were from the power company.
Margaret Oler with Rocky Mountain Power says this scam comes in surges and spurts across the country.
"These scammers are skillful in using the element of surprise and in using fear," she said. "If anything seems unusual, if you have any kind of question about a contact you've received, just hang up and call us back."
