The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently alerted customers of water and other utilities to robocalls being made advising that you’ve paid too much on your bill. To get a cash refund, you simply need to press a number on your phone. You then get to a live person who wants to “verify” your credentials and ask for personal information.

Sorry but…not so fast.  This is just another utility scam.  OCWA never calls customers in the event of an overpayment, and we do not give cash refunds (we either credit the extra money to your account or mail a refund check).

If you get one of these calls, here’s what to do:

  • Hang up. Don’t press any numbers or respond to any instructions. If you press or respond, you’ll probably wind up getting more unwanted calls like this.
  • Never give the caller your Social Security number, account details, or…well, just don’t tell them anything. Scammers can use almost any information you give them to make a buck at your expense.
  • Call OCWA at 315-455-7061 ext. 3335 to tell us about the call and — if you still wonder— ask if the call was for real.

To learn about other utility scams, see the attached flyer.