OXFORD — A telephone scam targeting businesses has been circulating in the Oxford Hills the past two days and police are warning people not to give out personal information to a caller claiming to represent Central Maine Power.
According to Oxford police Lt. Michael Ward, a man, whose phone number has a 207 area code, has been contacting businesses claiming to be from CMP and threatening to shut off their power unless the owner makes a payment with their credit card.
Ward said one business in the area has already succumbed to the scam, losing $500.
The caller identifies himself as a Steven Chang and has a Jamaican accent, Ward said. The scam is specifically targeting businesses, he said.
Ward reported that he contacted the number used by the scammer on Wednesday and briefly spoke to the person. “He basically said, ‘you have a job to do and I have a job to do, come get me,'” Ward said. “He was pretty brazen.”
It is fairly easy to route a phone call through a local telephone number in order to hide the origin of the call, Ward said.
People are being reminded not to provide any personal information over the phone. If customers run into this particular scam and question the status of their CMP account, they should contact the company directly, Ward said.
If people believe they have been victimized by a scam, they should contact local police, their phone service provider or the Federal Trade Commission.
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