Wintertime phone scams can cost residents thousands of dollars

What starts with an apparently legitimate offer or phone call can quickly turn into a big loss and cost you thousands of dollars.

Nazim Islamov, who owns Pizza Bosa near PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, nearly fell victim to a scam that started with a phone call.

"They said, 'Hi, this is Duquesne Light, you're behind on your payment. You have to make a payment right now.' He said the technician was a couple of blocks away, (and) if I don't make a payment they would cut my electric off," said Islamov.

Islamov sensed the call wasn't on the up and up, but wanted to make sure. So he told the caller he was only able to pay cash.

"He said go to the closest CVS and you can send us money through the express, then I figured out it was a scam,” Islamov said.

A pizza shop customer overheard Islamov's story, and said the same thing happened to him when he worked as a manager of a flower shop in Butler County. Kristofer Phillips believed the call was real, and went to tell the business owner she needed to pay.

"When she came in I was like, these people just called and they're going to shut the electric off. And she was like, 'We don't even work with those people,’" Phillips said.

The Butler County store used a different utility company for their service.

Investigators said those phone calls are one of the most popular scams they see in the winter, along with the "IRS scam.” If someone owes a company or the IRS money, they won't find out in a phone call. Instead, they will get an official alert.

Another popular scam happens after a big winter storm. All of a sudden, there may be a knock at the door offering to fix a broken gutter, plow your driveway or perform other kinds of repairs.

"They can do them right now, because they're in the neighborhood. They usually ask for a pretty high deposit, and they're usually not very adept at doing the work that they say they can do," said Jesse Harvey, senior deputy attorney general for Pennsylvania.

Harvey warned that elderly people are the most at risk, because they can be isolated, and worried about their homes and getting the work done.

"They take your money, maybe hammer a couple boards in, do minor repairs that are really shoddy in nature and then they take off with your money," said Harvey.

Two other ways to lose money: gift cards and donations. Harvey said people should look closely at any gift cards they received over the holidays to see if there are any expiration dates or hidden fees. As for charities, the attorney general's office can help with research to make sure the money people donate goes where it's intended.

Cox Media Group