A police agency in Cobb County is warning residents about a scam that’s been tweaked to now target businesses.
Acworth police said Wednesday that the department has recently received reports of a twist on a scam that involves a Green Dot — a pre-paid, declining balance card not linked to any bank account.
Before, scammers would call claiming to be from power utility companies and tell residents that their electricity will be turned off if they don't make a payment over the phone with a pre-paid card like a Green Dot.
This new incarnation focuses on employees of businesses, especially in the food service industry, cops said.
The con artist will call claiming to be from the a company’s “corporate office” and tell employees to use money from the register to purchase a pre-paid card like a Green Dot and give the huckster the numbers on the card.
This isn’t normal business practice, so if you have any hesitation, Acworth cops suggest you hang up and call the corporate office yourself to see what’s going on.
But there’s something else tricky.
“The scammer may even be able to ‘spoof’ the caller ID which indicates the name of the corporate office where they claim to be calling from,” police said.
You can contact the Acworth Police Department at 770-974-1232.
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