On 8/19/13, at approximately 8:00 PM, officers made contact with a business owner about a possible phone scam. The owner informed the officer they had received numerous phone calls from somebody claiming to be with Entergy Arkansas and telling them they were behind on their bill. The scam artist also told them if they didn’t pay the bill immediately their power would be shut off within the hour.
While the officer was on-scene, the scam artist happened to call the business again so they spoke with them. The scam artist held to their story about the bill being late and needing money sent to them even though they were informed that Benton residents don’t use Entergy therefore it couldn’t be true. The officer was able to point out other inconsistencies with their storyline and eventually the conversation ceased.
Remember to never give out your personal information if scam artists such as this one call you, especially credit card or social security numbers, over the phone if they are contacting you. It’s a good idea to tell them you will contact them back, and then call their company phone number to see if they are legitimate. Go with your instinct in these cases and if you have any doubts about their legitimacy then please contact the police department about it.
Anyone with information about this scam is encouraged to contact the Benton Police Department at 778-1171 or 315-TIPS. Individuals also may send an anonymous tip to CRIMES (274637) with the keyword BNPD in the body of the text or go to www.crimereports.com and submit a tip there.
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