(KANSAS CITY, Kan.) — The Kansas City Board of Public Utilities (BPU) is warning customers about recent telephone scams in which the caller threatens to shut off power unless immediate past due utility payments are made over the phone. Please be aware – BPU will never ask for payment or threaten disconnection due to non-payment over the phone.

In one scenario, the caller identifies themselves as being with the utility, says the customer’s account is past due and states that services will be shut off in 30 minutes unless an immediate payment is made over the phone. In another scenario, the caller says the customer needs to hang up and call back the “finance department” to pay their utility bill or face immediate disconnection, and then provides a bogus or fake 1-800 or 1-844 phone number to the customer.

Customers that suspect they are being targeted should ask the caller for their name, hang up right away, and then call the BPU Customer Service Department at 913-573-9190. Although BPU sometimes uses pre-recorded messages to notify customers about future dates for possible disconnection, they do not cold-call customers to demand immediate payment.

A little knowledge can go a long way in preventing scammers from taking advantage of you. BPU has developed an educational video and facts to help empower customers to spot, avoid and report fraud. For more information, visit BPU.com.