Phone scammer targets Redmond businessman

(Update with comments from victim, utility, sheriff’s office)

The owner of a Redmond car lot is out $600 after he was scammed by a person posing as a Pacific Power employee on Thursday.

Ross Hall, the owner of Hall Truck and Auto Sales, told NewsChannel 21 on Friday the caller told him his power was going to get turned off if he didn’t don’t pay his bill.

The scammer had Hall’s personal information and knew his Pacific Power account number, Hall said he thought something was wrong because he paid his bill in advance and also thought it was strange he was getting a call from Pacific Power.

“They identified themselves as the power company,” he said. “They had my account numbers and my payment history. I had no reason to believe that it wasn’t the power company.”

The scammer told Hall he was getting a cashier’s check sent to his address because of his over-payment — but first he’d need to send a pre-paid card, to pay for his May power bill.

The business owner, believing it was a legitimate phone call, sent $600 through a pre-paid card.

Hall said the phone call didn’t sit well with him, so he called the power company — and found out he was scammed.

“They said it was a scam,” he recalled. “I feel like a fool. I feel like a real idiot.”

A Pacific Power representative told NewsChannel 21 the scam is not new and it never asks for a prepaid card for payment.

Deschutes County sheriff’s Lt. Chad Davis said these scammers are getting more and more creative.

He said some of the scammers are not local and can be out of the country, which makes it difficult for police to track them down.

Hall said this is a lesson for him, and he will now double-check before handing over money.

“If it doesn’t feel right, or seem right, then it’s not right,” Hall said.

Hall also said he thinks the scammer got hold of his power bill and used that information to scam him.

Pacific Power said it does offer a paperless option for its customers.