APS clients still target for old scam

If call feels off, hang up and call APS’ official number

An old scam is still making the rounds in Yuma County.

The Yuma Sun recently received a phone call from someone who claimed to be an APS representative. The caller claimed the newspaper had not paid its electric bill, and if we didn’t make a payment in the next 45 minutes, our power would be turned off.

The caller told the Yuma Sun employee that we needed to pay up. Our employee got a name and number from the guy, and then tried to call him back. That number went to an automated system that sounded like it was APS, but eventually, hung up on our employee.

Then, the original scam artist called back. So our staff challenged him, told him we knew it was a scam, and the caller hung up.

The Yuma Sun employee who spoke to the scammer said he sounded very convincing and official. It was enough to give her pause. We send in our payment every month, but what if it got lost along the way?

Our scam caller didn’t get far enough to demand a payment via a prepaid card, but that was likely his next step, given others’ experiences with this scam.

Our team looked up the APS phone number on our monthly statement, and we gave them a call. The verified APS representative said the scam has been going on for some time, and we made the right call. In fact, there are several press releases on the APS website addressing the subject. In a 10-day period last year, 90 incidents were reported to the company across the state.

APS notes it will not call customers and demand payment via a prepaid card.

If you ever get a call that feels fishy, hang up and call APS back immediately at 1-602-371-7171. The APS Customer Care Center can then look up the account and let you know whether or not the initial contact was valid or a scam.

APS also encourages customers to report the incident to local law enforcement officials, too.

After seeing these scam artists at work, I can see how someone might fall victim to one. Be vigilant, be skeptical, and protect your information and money from scam artists.