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Officials report that at or about noon Monday, Dec. 15, a man described as either Indian or Hispanic, probably in his 40s and well dressed, entered Kapri Cleaners on Black Rock Turnpike claiming to be from UI.
Owners told police the man explained he was from UI headquarters and was at the local business to collect $6,000 in late payments that had to be paid within the hour, lest their power be shut down.
The man gave the owners a fake 800-number to call to make the payments, police said, and then called the store later that afternoon saying they now owe $7,300 because of late fees. Officers said the suspect then asked the owners to drive to a CVS/Pharmacy in Stamford, purchase a Green Dot prepaid debit card to make the payment over the phone. After the store’s owner read the number on the back of the card to the unidentified man, the phone line went dead and the victims were out thousands of dollars.
“This is the season of scams,” Lt. James Perez said. “These people target minorities and different cultures because they are not aware of how the American system works.
“It’s really sad because these people work hard all day long and fall victim to these crimes.”
Perez explained that scam artists use psychological tactics to persuade unsuspecting victims into falling for their traps. In the case of the Kapri Cleaners, Perez said the suspect used scarcity and authority tactics to persuade the owners into handing over their money.
According to Perez, the unidentified man in question was well dressed so to appear as an authority from UI and threatened to shut down their electric, provoking what Perez called scarcity.
“The fact that this guy had success today means this scam will be multiplied and done again,” he added.
Vice President of Communications for UI, Michael West, said scams like these are a national issue his company has been working to address over the past couple years.
“We never go out in person to collect payments,” said West, who added that scams like these are heightened during the summer months when electric is being used more often in the home to power air conditioning units.
“We’ve been alerting customers about this, especially with Green Dot,” said West. “We never shut off power immediately … we never demand a specific form of payment, like Green Dot … [our workers] are always in a marked vehicle and have ID.”
West told the Daily Voice that UI continually updates customers on safety precautions through social media posts and mailer inserts. He said in most cases, UI will help its customers by assisting them with payment installments, “or we will provide assistance through the state if needed.”
UI has partnered with Fairfield Police Department’s uniform fashion show – an event where local law enforcement and utility companies parade uniformed officials down a runway to raise awareness of what their uniforms and credentials look like.
West said if there is ever a question of the authenticity of a UI, or any utility call, to hang up the phone and call their number at 1-800-722-5584.
“We’re afraid of them coming into your business and home and causing physical harm,” Perez added. “We need to alert everyone of this.”
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