Orange Village Police Warn of Scams in Our Area
Do not be a victim!
Scammers posing as electric company employees are calling Cuyahoga County residents and threatening them with immediate utilities shutoffs if they don’t pay.
**Please note that members from FirstEnergy are in the area replacing SmartMeters. They will call you concerning the meter installation ONLY and will not ask for any money, credit card, gift card, banking information of social security information.**
If you are in doubt, please feel free to contact the police department at 440-498-4401 during normal business hours or 440-247-7321 after hours.
Protect yourself!
– Don’t panic. Utilities don’t make cold-calls about shut offs. They will always send written disconnection notices.
– Be skeptical of the Caller ID. Scammers may spoof their numbers.
– Know that disconnections are typically not scheduled at night or on weekends.
– Be wary if anyone asks you to pay a bill using a wire transfer, prepaid card or gift card. Those are payment methods most utilities don’t accept, but scammers like because they’re hard to trace.
– Never give account information to someone who calls you. If you believe you may owe, contact your utility using the number from your bill, not one provided by a caller.
We are here if you need us! Call the Orange Village Police Department with questions, concerns or to report any suspicious activity. The Cuyahoga County Scam Squad is also available as a resource at 216-443-SCAM (216-443-7226).