KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Independence officials are warning residents that scammers are at it again in their area.
A city spokesperson said people have reported receiving threatening phone calls from an "800" number that shows up on caller I.D. as from the City of Independence.
The scammers demand immediate payment of utility bills, or else utilities will be shut off within the next 30 minutes.
The Independence spokesperson said that while the utilities department does call customers about past-due accounts, it does not ask for immediate payment, and usually calls the night before a potential shut-off would happen.
The city also enforces a cold weather rule, which it said is in effect any day on which 24 hours prior, between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m., the National Weather Service forecasts temperatures below 32 degrees.
The city warned that spoofing scams are becoming more common and customers may recognize the number scammers are calling from.
Customers with questions or doubts about the legitimacy of a call are asked to call the City of Independence Utilities Customer Service at 816-325-7930.
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