LAKE CITY, Fla. – The Columbia County Sheriff's Office is warning residents about a phone scam happening throughout Florida.
The sheriff's office said the scam has been mainly seen in south Florida, but it's now moving north.
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Officials say the scammers frequently identify themselves as employees of Florida Power and Light. They advise the customer their bill is past due and service will be cut immediately.
The scammers will then get victims to give personal information over the phone and tell them to purchase a prepaid credit card which will be used to pay the bill.
The sheriff's office says it is just one of many scams.
Officers advise residents to report all suspicious incidents, and to never give out personal information over the phone.
FPL says the company never has a live agent contact customers in this manner, and that they use an automated system or mail.
FPL is giving customers advice if they receive one of these phone calls:
- Notify local law enforcement immediately
- Contact FPL at the number listed at the bottom of their bill or at FPL.com/contactus
- Report the incident to either the Florida Department of Agriculture or Consumer Services at 1-800-435-7352, or go to the Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force at stopfraud.gov