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PUC Services is warning all customers of a billing and collections scam. This scam involves customers receiving calls from fraudsters identifying themselves as PUC employees and demanding an immediate payment on their account. The callers threatens to disconnect the customer if an amount is not paid immediately through a variety of payment methods, such as PayPal, prepaid credit cards and money orders.

PUC Services does not contact customers on billing issues outside of business hours, which are 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Customers whose accounts are in arrears will receive multiple notifications via their bill, over the phone and through the mail, well before being disconnected.

Additionally, PUC also does not accept PayPal and will never request money orders as payment. Furthermore, the PUC does not directly accept credit cards for payment, but rather transfers customers wishing to make credit card payments to the PUC’s third-party processor, Paymentus. The PUC urges customers to protect themselves if contacted, by not providing anyone with personal or account information.

If customers doubt the authenticity of a call, they should hang up and call PUC Customer Service at 705-759-6522. PUC encourages any customers that receive one of these calls to report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 and the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service at 705-949-6300.

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