KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Evergy is warning customers of recent scams targeting customers in person and over the phone in the Kansas City area.
Evergy is reminding customers that employees will never ask customers to pay through a third-party app, offer discounts or ask customers to pay their balance with gift cards.
One scammer impersonated an employee by dressing in Evergy attire and mislead a small-business customer in July. While inside the small business, the scammer told the owner if he paid his bill immediately though Cash App that he would receive a 15% discount on his energy bill, according to a press release.
After agreeing to pay with Cash App, the customer received payment confirmation via text and checked his Evergy account to confirm. The business owner's services were later discontinued because his bill had not been paid. Evergy's Connect Center later found the scammer processed two card payments on the business owner's account, which were later refunded.
Another recent instance occurred over the phone. Scammers told a different customer if they did not forward their payment by cash or gift cards that their services would be disconnected.
Because the customer had paid her bill that same day, her and her husband visited Evergy's Connect Center before following the scammers' instructions and found she had no balance due.
While at the Evergy Connect Center, the scammers continued to call the customers, and Evergy employees took the call but it was quickly disconnected, per the press release.
Evergy says there are some precautions customers can take to avoid being scammed:
- If an employee, or someone disguised as one, is at your door, check to see if they're driving an Evergy vehicle.
- Customers can verify someone is an Evergy employee by asking to see their company identification or calling the Customer Contact Center prior to giving out any personal information. If you can not verify they are with Evergy, do not provide them with any personal information.
- Evergy employees rarely need to enter customers' homes.
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For jurisdictions that utilize the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline, anonymous tips can be made by calling 816-474-TIPS (8477), submitting the tip online or through the free mobile app at P3Tips.com. Tips leading to an arrest made through the Tips Hotline may be eligible for up to a $25,000 reward.
Annual homicide details and data for the Kansas City area are available through the KSHB 41 News Homicide Tracker, which was launched in 2015. Read the KSHB 41 News Mug Shot Policy.
