ITHACA, N.Y. — A new telephone scam may be targeting local businesses just ahead of the busy holiday and commencement weekend in Ithaca.
The Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce is reporting that their office received a phone call Thursday from a person falsely claiming to be a New York State Electric and Gas Corporation representative. The caller said an overdue utility bill would cause electric services to be cut off if it was not quickly paid. When a person at the Chamber of Commerce called the number back, an official NYSEG recording stated that failure to pay the overdue bill would result in services being cut off within 45 minutes.
NYSEG is aware off the scam and has reported it to the FCC, the Chamber of Commerce said in an online statement. The calls may be specifically targeting local businesses, officials said.
People concerned with their bill are asked to call NYSEG at their customer service phone number 1-800-572-1111 to speak with a representative. Officials are also recommending that people note the time and date of the call and the phone number the call comes in from.