Power Bill Scammers Target Metro Dress Shop

The owner of a well-known Oklahoma City dress shop called News 9 Tuesday desperate for help. She thought OG&E was out to get her. News 9 quickly figured out it was all a scam. 

Serendipity dress shop owner Kara Hall told us OG&E called her to tell her they were going to shut off her power in an hour if she didn't pay her outstanding bill. The reality was Hall had just paid her latest bill a few days ago. 

News 9 quickly checked with OG&E, who told us it was a scam. Spokesperson Kathleen O'Shea said the utility never calls customers who are overdue on their account, that's always handled by letter. 

O'Shea said OG&E just put out a social media alert about this very scam last Friday. “They're getting very sophisticated, they'll give you a phone number to call, and you'll talk to someone, and they try to talk you into giving them information.” 

The bogus OG&E number the scammers gave Serendipity to call was 1-800-756-6290. 

O'Shea said these criminals are targeting small businesses, and people who speak English as a second language. She said if you get a call like this, hang up and call OG&E to report it.