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TOP STORY OF THE DAY: Scammers are back at work and trying to collect false water bills
Residents need to be aware of a telephone scam involving the Brazil City Water Department, and not just water customers in Brazil.
Brazil resident George Bowls has used a well for his home water supply for 30 years, but when his phone rang Sunday night, an unknown man demanded payment for a past-due water bill, threatening to shut the service off.
“He threatened to shut it off this morning. but it’s still on,” Bowls joked with The Brazil Times Monday afternoon about the experience. “I didn’t let it go too far, but the guy got pretty forceful about the bill was past due for three months, and it had to be paid now. I think he was cussing as he hung up when I told him to go right ahead and do it.”
Bowls, who works IT and is on the phone a lot, has received his fair share of the national scams, like credit card payments. However, this was his first time dealing with a local con.
“I could see how a person might get upset by something like that,” Bowls said and offered a tip when dealing with phone scams. “If someone is asking or demanding personal or credit card information, relax. Take a breath and think about what’s happening, and don’t do it.”
Brazil Water Treatment Superintendent Shawnette Szekely said the department does not call people behind in water payments to collect the bill.
“We send letters to people,” Szekely explained about the person calling people and attempting to collect payments on behalf of the Brazil City Water Collections. “It’s not real.”
Szekely confirmed a notice had been posted on the City of Brazil’s website (brazil.in.gov) to alert people of the fraud.
People can also stop by the new Brazil Water Office at 401 W National Avenue, Brazil, IN 47834.
Customers can also view their bill and pay for water, wastewater, and trash online at http://www.invoicecloud.com/brazilin.
The Utilities Office is responsible for billing water, wastewater, and trash monthly and is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The department strives to help customers in any way they can, so feel free to call with any issues, including personnel on hand for emergencies regarding service after business hours.
To report a scam involving the Brazil Water Department, Szekely urges people to call the police department.
Brazil Assistant Police Chief Dennis Archer agrees.
“We know this is not the normal course of business for the Brazil Water Department,” he said. “People who want to report a scam like this should try to get some information to report, like a name, the phone number from caller ID, maybe an address.”
However, Archer said people should never provide their information, home address, or try to meet up with a scammer in any way “because you don’t know who you are dealing with.”
If a person receives one of these phone calls using local information of this type, hang up and call the Brazil Police Department at 812-446-2211 if living in the city, or, if a county resident, contact the Clay County Sheriff’s Department at 812-446-2535 to speak with Dispatch.