Long Beach city officials are warning residents of a new scam targeting customers under the guise of being a utilities company.
A statement from the Long Beach Utilities Department advised customers of the new ploy, where the scammers are impersonating city employees, asking for money and personal information.
“Long Beach Utilities will never send a representative to a customers’ home to promote/sell residential water filler/treatment systems or offer water quality inside their home without a scheduled appointment,” the statement said.
The news comes at a time that more than 100,000 residents were just impacted by a massive water main break. The issue led to a boil water notice for all of those affected for several days before it was canceled on Thursday.
“If a representative from Long Beach Utilities does visit a utility customer for a water, sewer, or gas-related service, customers may request to see the official department employee identification,” the statement said.
Customers are also advised to either call to speak with the department to seek further verification.