LITTLE VALLEY, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Cattaraugus County Sheriff's Office is warning residents of a phone scam in which scammers claim to be representing the potential victim's gas or electric company.
In the scam, the sheriff's office says the potential victim is told they are eligible for a refund for overpayment on their utility bill. In order to receive the refund, the scammer requests personal information through a series of prompts. The scammers can then use that personal information in a variety of damaging ways.
The Better Business Bureau offers several tips to avoid scams. It recommends never sharing personal information with someone who has contacted you unsolicited. When dealing with contact from someone claiming to be your utility company, the BBB suggests hanging up and calling the company's customer service numberto continue.
If you think you've been scammed, you can call your local law enforcement agency and report a scam with the BBB Scam Tracker.
