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Gainesville Regional Utilities customers may have been scammed

Isatou Sarr reported for WUFT-TV.

Gainesville Regional Utilities customers have reported phone calls from scammers who claim their payments are overdue and threaten to disconnect their service.

The scammers, who may pose as GRU representatives, tell customers someone will go to their houses to collect cash payments, according to a GRU news release.

“We do not contact customers by phone to demand immediate payment,” said Mary Brown, GRU customer service manager. GRU representatives should always be able to show proper identification, according to the news release.

Other utilities’ customers around Florida have been asked to make an immediate payment via prepaid debit cards, according to the news release.

Customers who doubt the authenticity of what appears to be GRU contact can call the GRU Customer Service Department 24/7 at 352-334-3434 to check their account statuses. If the communication is suspicious, customers should report it to Gainesville Police Department at 352-955-1818.

Karly is a reporter who can be contacted by calling 352-392-6397 or emailing news@wuft.org.