A scammer convinced a Villages business owner that she had fallen behind on electric bill payments and was in danger of having the power cut off.
The scammer called the owner of The Spice and Tea Exchange at Brownwood Paddock Square on July 12 and said he represented SECO. He said the business was behind on its payments and the power was about to be shut off. The business owner said the bill had been paid June 29 and the check had cleared June 30. A “supervisor” was then put on the phone and told the business owner that if she paid the amount and a late fee, her power would not be shut off. He instructed her to go to CVS on Avenida Central, use a special red phone and wire the money. She wired $725. She then called SECO to verify that payment had been received. A legitimate SECO employee informed the woman she had been scammed and that the scam had been reported by five other customers that same day.
