Scam Alert: Thieves Posing as City Utility Workers Target Residents

Scammers claiming to employees of the city's utilities department are calling residents and threatening to turn off their electric unless payment is made, Manassas City officials said this week. 

"... In this scam, the caller tells the resident or business that he (or) she is with the City of Manassas power company disconnect team and that they will cut off the person’s power if the resident does not wire money to them in the form of a Green Dot money pack from an 'authorized store,'" Manassas City spokeswoman Patty Prince said in an email sent on Monday. 

The city wants residents to know that such calls are a scam, as the City of Manassas Utilities Department does not call to notify residents or businesses of service cut offs.  

Rather, a notice of termination is placed on the utility bill.  Service will only be stopped if no action is taken by the resident or business in a reasonable time frame.  

Residents who receive a scam call should call the  City of Manassas Utilities Department at 703-257-8245 to verify that payment is due.  The utilities department only accepts in-person payments at the public works facility at 9500 Public Works Drive.