SAN FRANCISCO—The San Francisco Police Department and the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission is warning the public to be aware of a recent series of scams in which suspects pose as representative of “SF Utilities” and demand for payment for overdue bills.
The SFPD indicated in a press release that the suspects contact potential victims by phone, claiming that their water bills are overdue and threats are made to turn off their water service unless a cash payment is made. Customers have been directed to make payment at various drug stores throughout San Francisco. In some incidents, the suspects sometimes use a device that “spoofs” caller ID devices to show the SFPUC customer service phone number, which is not accurate, as the calls are not coming from the SFPUC.
The company will at no time direct customers to pay water bills in person anywhere other than authorized payment locations. For a list of authorized payment locations, click here: http://www.sfwater.org/index.aspx?page=48.
Authorities are warning the public to be aware of such calls and are advised to contact the SFPUC if they have questions regarding their water bill and service. The SFPUC Customer Service Line is (415) 551-3000.
SFPUC customers who have received phone calls can file a suspicious occurrence report at any SFPD district station. Anyone who has been victimized by the scam should file a fraud report with the SFPD. For a list of district police stations, click here: http://sanfranciscopolice.org/police-district-maps.
