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Police: Phone Scammers Pretend To Be Duquesne Light, Threaten To Shut Off Power

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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Pittsburgh Police say scammers are calling Duquesne Light customers and threatening to shut off their power.

According to police, a Penn Hills business owner received a call from someone who said they worked for Duquesne Light and the business owner's power would be shut off immediately due to an unpaid balance.

The caller then told the business owner to purchase a pre-paid credit card and provide the numbers on the card to pay off the balance.

Police say this is the first report they've received about this scam.

A Duquesne Light spokesperson told police they would never call a customer and threaten to shut off power that same day because of a payment.

Duquesne Light customers can call 1-888-393-7100 if they think they received a call from scammers and visit their website for more information on avoiding scams.

Anyone who believes they are a victim of this scam should call police. Victims can also report it online with the Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov and with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.

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