Watonga City Manager Leroy Alsup is making the public aware of a recent phone spoofing attempt reported by another member of the Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority, the organization that provides towns, including Watonga, with electricity.
Customers of these other member towns received calls that appeared to come from the utility phone number and were asked to make an immediate payment to avoid disconnection. Please be aware that similar attempts could potentially target customers in our communities.
OMPA encourages members to remain vigilant and reminds staff to be aware of potential scam calls or reports from customers. Residents are reminded to use caution when receiving unexpected calls requesting immediate payment or personal information.
If you receive such a call demanding payment immediately to avoid disconnection of utilities, you may always check with the city’s light and water department to make sure the call is legitimate, even if you must put the original caller on hold, disconnect the call or use another phone. A legitimate caller will always be willing to allow you to call them back, whereas a scammer will usually make more threats or issue warnings about impending disconnection of services or the cost of reconnection fees.
When in doubt about the legitimacy of a call, always err on the side of caution. Utilities can be reconnected or payment arrangements made, but once a scammer has funds or a bank account number, the money is usually not recovered.