Memphis Light, Gas and Water has again received reports of scam attempts, this time targeting Hispanic business customers. The customers are receiving calls in Spanish telling them that their utility payments are past due, and that their utility services will be cut off immediately unless they go out and buy gift cards and place specific sums of money on them.

In other instances the perpetrators tell the customer to wire money from a debit card to a money drop box (not MLGW's), or they instruct the customer to go to a local pharmacy, buy a prepaid credit card and call them back to read off the numbers on the card over the phone. Other times they tell the customer they “will have an MLGW employee meet them at the business to collect the money.”

MLGW never comes to a business or residence to collect utility payments. Customers who believe they have been targeted or victimized with this or any other scam must immediately contact the Memphis Police Department at (901) 545-2677.

MLGW reports that in just the last couple of days the company has received several calls related to this type of scam, all from Hispanic business customers. The person calling uses a cell phone with an out-of-state area code. 

MLGW is the largest three-service public power utility in the nation, serving more than 421,000 customers in Memphis and Shelby County.