LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Cecilia Wheeler has known this number for the 43 years she has been married to her husband David.
“I noticed right away that it was 589-1444, which is LG&E,” she said.
A spoof call which she says looked all too real, saying she owed three months-worth of payments on her LG&E bill for one of her properties.
“I said no, we have automatic withdrawals. There’s no way! He said, ‘Yes, mama, you are slated to get turned off at 10 a.m. We have called you and we have sent you letters’,” Cecilia explained.
The scammer gave her a callback number when she was “ready” to pay her bill.
Her husband asked her if she thought it could be a scam.
Cecilia and her husband called the number back. Another person answered only confirming to the couple it wasn’t a scam – except it was.
In the time it took Cecilia to get her caffeine fix, her husband rushed to the bank, then Walgreens with suspicion heavy on his mind. He asked the clerk if she’s ever heard such a thing.
At home, Cecilia did her own detective work – reverse Googling the number.
“I was like, ‘wait a minute…,” she said.
In their case, it was instinct that spared the couple $460. She wasn’t ready to let it go and she called LG&E on Monday who told the couple they were aware of the scam and referred her to the Better Business Bureau.
“Utility scams like this usually come in the summertime when people start turning their air conditioning on in the wintertime when it starts to get cold,” BBB President and CEO Reanna Smith Hamblin said.
Hamblin said they now have three reports of locals and businesses receiving this scam call.
“Right now, a lot of people are at home – they’re scared. They don’t know what to expect any more,” she said.
The BBB and LG&E are both investigating but are warning the public – don’t fall victim.
Take it from Cecilia who outsmarted the crooks.
“If it helps one person or the stupid scammers are watching it and they hear me talking about this and they're thinking oh well we're going to lose some business then so be it.”
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