The Cochise County Sheriff's Office is warning of a phone scam that has tricked victims out of thousands of dollars.
According to office spokeswoman Carol Capas, a suspect claiming to work for the Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative has called victims and told them that someone is on the way to disconnect power for failure to pay unless they pay the outstanding balance on their bill by calling a 1-866 number. Victims are then told to pay the bill via MoneyPak card.
One recent victim lost $498.13 in the scam. SSVEC recommends that victims call 520-458-4691 or 1-800-422-3275 to report the scam.
Another con involves a caller pretending to be a law enforcement agent claiming to have a warrant for the victim's arrest and demanding payment for the warrant. One person lost $2,000 in that scam.
