CITY OF OAK RIDGE WARNS RESIDENTS OF SCAM

The City of Oak Ridge is warning citizens about scammers posing as city employees. City officials said that the scams have generally targeted commercial customers, but residents have also received calls in the past. The scam begins with calls informing customers that they had bills that were marked past due and that a “technician” would be on the way to disconnect their utilities. The scammers then ask the customers to immediately pay with cash or a credit card to avoid losing their utilities. Such scams are prevalent during the holiday season. The city released a statement saying that their electric and utilities representatives would never contact customers and request payment over the phone. As part of standard practice, city notices are sent in writing through the mail.