In scam, 'PUD' caller tells Monroe businesses to send money or see power cut off



MONROE, Wash. -- Several businesses have received phone calls from scammers claiming to be with the county Public Utilities District who say the owners need to pay an overdue bill or face having their power shut off.

Chef Adam Hoffman, who owns Adam's Northwest Bistro and Brewery, got such a call on Saturday, just one hour before opening.

The caller claimed he owed more than $900  and if he didn't pay it within the hour, he would face losing power.  The caller instructed him to go to a nearby Safeway and get a prepaid credit card.

"Get two of these cards, totaling $900, call him back with the 10-digit code," Hoffman said, recounting what the caller told him.

Hoffman panicked since it was a Saturday, when he expects to serve about 180 customers.  He ran to his bank and asked the teller to withdraw the money.

"I was begging them to give me the money because my restaurant is going to get shut off; I am freaking out," Hoffman said.

The teller knew something wasn't right, so they called the Snohomish County PUD hotline, which stated there was a scam where the caller demands a money order.

The crooks called several businesses Saturday, trying to scam them out of money, including Sam's Cats and Dogs.  That owner knew he was all paid up and didn't fall for it.

The number Hoffman was getting calls from is based out of South Carolina.

Police are investigating the string of calls.