Business owners and residents in Claremont have once again fallen victim to phone scams.

On Wednesday, September 28, the Claremont Police Department received multiple reports from area businesses that people claiming to be from Southern California Edison were calling to say they had to pay a delinquent bill or their power would be shut off.

The person would then direct the business to purchase Green Dot or similar-type payment cards and then give them the numbers from the cards over the telephone. Green Dot cards are pre-paid Mastercard and Visa debit cards commonly sold at grocery store checkout stands. There is no credit check required to get a pre-paid Visa or Mastercard, and they are frequently used for birthday and graduation gifts.

If a company calls asking to pay a bill through a pre-paid debit card from a grocery store, you can be certain it is a scam. Do not become a victim. Southern California Edison—or any other reputable company—would never contact you by phone to say you are delinquent on your account, and then ask you to make payments using Green Dot cards over the telephone.

Police warn residents to be aware of this common scam. If someone calls to say you are delinquent on a utility account or, for example, the IRS, simply hang up and call back the company on the phone number listed at the top of your bill to confirm your account status.