1/26
On Friday, an officer was
dispatched to Harvard St. for a report of a shoplifting. The caller had
witnessed a man take a pair of shoes, hide them within his pants, and then
proceed to exit the store. Units searched the area but were unable to find the
suspect. The case is active.
1/27
On Saturday, an officer spoke
to a business owner regarding a larceny. The victim stated that the opening
manager had discovered cash and a credit card missing from the register on the
morning of Monday, January 22. The case is active.
*Eversource Utility Scamming
Incident*
On the afternoon of Saturday,
January 27, an officer was dispatched to a business on Beacon St. for a report
of larceny. The owner said that he had received a call on his business
telephone from someone claiming to be an Eversource representative earlier that
day. The representative told the victim that their bill was overdue and
immediate payment was needed to ensure his electricity was not shut off. The
victim was told by an account services representative to purchase pre-paid
money cards, as they were unable to accept credit card payments over the phone.
The representative stated that the pre-paid money cards he needed to purchase
were called "Green Dot Money Pak". Once the cards were purchased, he
was asked to call back to arrange for the payment of his overdue bill.
Fearing the impact this
potential power outage may have during peak-business hours, the victim
purchased multiple "Green Dot Money Pak" cards. Once returning to his
business, he called the phone number provided by the account services
representative and made the payment for the overdue electricity bill.
A couple of hours later, the
victim received another phone call from Eversource stating that they had made a
mistake and he still owed an additional, over-due balance. The victim was then
advised to call another representative to make a second payment. With much
concern, the victim hung up, knowing he had been scammed. He contacted the landlord who informed him that the electric bill is incorporated into his lease. The case is still active at this time.
Brookline Residents,
Utility scams are common ways that even
the most vigilant people can fall victim to. They often pretend to be a representative
of your provider, sometimes claiming that they will turn off your electricity
or even threatening jail time as a means of receiving immediate payment. It is
important to recognize the common signs of utility scams and the facts
regarding your utility provider.
The Facts:
Both Eversource and National Grid will…
Never ask customers to make direct payments over the phone.
Never demand immediate transfer – via wire or pre-paid cards.
Both
Eversource and National Grid Representatives and affiliated
contractors will…
Always carry
a company-issued photo ID and provide it when asked by the customer.
*If you
believe you’ve been scammed or contacted by a utility scam artist, please
report it to the Brookline Police Department. In addition, contact your utility
provider.
Resources:
Eversource
Utilities
United Against Scams
*Includes a Consumer’s Guide to
Imposter Utility Scams
National Grid
Better
Business Bureau
Website
Scam Stopper
Pages
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