JEA calls, emails customers about recent scam activity

Jacksonville, FL — You may have received a phone call or email from JEA in recent days alerting you to a scam.

The utility has taking the extraordinary step to call customers following an increase in calls from what it calls sophisticated actors who pose as the utility, threatening to disconnect your service is payment isn’t made using a prepaid card.

“On Friday alone, more than 95 of our customers called us to let us know that they were receiving calls”, said JEA Spokesperson Gerri Boyce.  “About six customers who paid a total of $12,500 in total”, Boyce said.

JEA says the scammers are very sophisticated. The number shows up on caller ID as JEA, and if you call the number back it sounds like JEA’s call center.

“We have in fact called them back pretending to be JEA customers who have been called, and they are very convincing”, said Boyce.

JEA is asking any customer who receives a suspicious call to record the phone number and any pertinent information, then call JEA at 665-6000 to report it.

The utility says it is able to shut down the numbers the scammers are calling from or asking customers to call.