A new scam is making its way around the state and much of the Northwoods. Wisconsin Public Service Spokesperson Leah VanZile reports impersonators are calling residents demanding they pay their “outstanding” utility bill over the phone with a prepaid visa or mastercard, or their service will be disconnected.
“…anybody stating that we’re going to be there in an hour to disconnect you if you don’t pay immediately, that is not the way we handle customers that are behind on their bills or when we do disconnections, and we would never ask someone to pay with a prepaid visa card immediately over the phone to avoid disconnection.”
VanZile says a handful of area businesses who aren’t WPS customers reported to have received the calls. She says WPS doesn’t ask its customers to pay over the phone. She says anyone who receives a suspicious call should call the company directly at 1-800-450-7260 to verify an outstanding balance.
