AUSTIN, Texas — Austin Energy is warning customers of a scam that has already affected dozens of customers.

  • Scammers show up on caller ID as City of Austin
  • Caller tells customer they owe money and they must pay in cash
  • If you receive a call, call 311 and report the incident

More than 40 City of Austin commercial utility customers and a handful of residential customers have received phone calls that show up on caller ID as from the City of Austin and sound as if they are from a call center. The caller tells the customer he or she owes the utility money and that he or she must pay in cash or risk having utilities shut off.

However, the address given to the customer is not a City of Austin location or authorized pay station. At least one commercial customer fell for the scam and was directed to a Bitcoin Automatic Teller Machine. The customer filed a police report with the Austin Police Department.

 

This new scam is similar to other recent scams including phone calls and emails from people claiming to be the City of Austin or Austin Energy, demanding money and threatening to cut off utility services if immediate payment wasn’t made. Over the last month, the City of Austin Utilities Customer Care Call Center has received nearly 350 calls from customers reporting various scams.

 

What customers need to know:

  • If you receive a phone call or email threatening to interrupt service, demanding immediate payment, or requesting credit card, Bitcoin or bank account information, hang up and dial 311 or 512-974-2000 and report the incident immediately.

  • If you are uncertain of your account status, visit our Online Customer Care Portal or call 512-494-9400.

  • Payments can also be made by calling 1-800-959-7063, which connects the customer to the City of Austin’s automated utilities payment service to make a payment via credit or debit card or electronic check. City of Austin customer service representatives may give customers this web address or phone number but will NOT ask for a customer’s credit card number to accept payment.   

  • Protect yourself. City of Austin staff will never ask you to buy a gift card and read off the numbers to them.

  • While some customers do pay in cash, the city will never call you to demand immediate payment in person with cash.

Customers can make payments at the city’s two walk-in service centers or the following authorized locations: Most Austin Austin H-E-B stores, ACE Cash Express, Money Box, Fiesta Mart and Randall’s. Staff at authorized locations will ask to see the customer’s utility bill statement before accepting payment.