Greater Sudbury Utilities received several reports from local businesses Monday of attempted fraud, posing as a disconnection warning.
In a news release, the utility said the phone calls appeared to be from a Greater Sudbury Utilities phone number, but the source of the calls was "spoofed," meaning the callers used software to mask their actual phone number. The caller threatened immediate disconnection if money was not paid, and gave the business owners a toll-free number to "check" their account and give payment information.
“The business owners contacted GSU to find out if the calls were real,” the release said. “They were not.”
"We urge all customers to be alert for fraudulent phone calls,” said Wendy Watson, GSU's director of communications, is quoted as saying in the release. “Do not give your information out over the phone. Call the local number on your bill if you want to speak with someone about your account. Do not call the phone number they give you. If your account is overdue, we will communicate with you in writing, not a threatening phone call.”
If you have questions about your account, call Greater Sudbury Utilities directly at 705-675-7536. If you are the victim of a fraud or attempted fraud, please contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre *1-888-495-8501.
*Note: an earlier version of this story had an outdated phone number.
