JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – JEA is warning customers of several recent scams that have been making the rounds:
Grocery reimbursement scam
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In the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew, it has come to our attention that scam artists are already trying to take advantage of customers who have already incurred damages to their homes. If you are emailed a link, or see one floating around social media, advertising money to reimburse groceries lost due to power outages during a storm, do not click on it.
JEA is not responsible for loss of food during power outages caused by weather-related conditions such as lightning, storms, heat, cold or other acts of nature. You also have a responsibility to protect yourself and your property, such as obtaining ice to prevent food spoilage. Learn more about JEA's Claims Resolution Policy
Caller ID fraud
This telephone scam has been happening around the country for several years now, but it’s recently gotten more sophisticated with the use of caller ID.
According to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, a scammer recently telephoned a laundromat in Mandarin (they’ve also called dry cleaners, liquor stores and bars). The caller ID showed it was JEA calling from 904-665-6000 and the caller claimed she was Brenda Wallace a JEA Manager, who told the business owner his service would be disconnected if he did not pay $1,998 immediately. She told the business owner to go to the nearest store and buy money cards (also called MoneyPak cards) and call her back at a designated number with the pin numbers from the money cards. The man did exactly as she demanded but reported the incident to JSO after Brenda Wallace called him back a second time, demanding more money -- this time $3,900.
Nail salons beware
A nail salon recently received a call from someone claiming to represent JEA. They told the owner they had to pay $480 or their service would be cut. They claimed they were updating the meter and if the shop didn't pay the $480 in 30 minutes, their power would be cut off. They gave them a number to call and told them to ask for David or Nancy. When the shop owner went to Winn Dixie to pay the bill, the clerk informed them that it was a scam.
"Feed the Children" scare
A JEA commercial customer recently received a call from someone pretending to be working on behalf of JEA soliciting donations to help feed children. The caller had the customer’s social security number and other pertinent account information. To help validate the call, they supposedly did a three-way call with JEA and the customer. In the end, the customer donated $655.88 to help “feed the children” but this was a scam. Please remember that JEA will never ask you to donate to a charity.