Scams are being reported by several entities this week.
Evergy says it is dealing with phone and in-person scammers. One incident involved a scammer entering a small business in July. Dressed in Evergy apparel, the scammer offered the business owner a 15 percent discount on his energy bill if the owner paid on the spot using CashApp. The owner agreed, got a confirmation for the payment and was still disconnected.
The other announced scam involved a call to a customer informing that person he would be disconnected if he didn’t pay by cash or by gift card, either at Dollar General or Walmart. In this case, the customer — who had just paid an energy bill earlier in the day — called Evergy’s Connect Center to verify his zero balance. Scammers actually called twice while the customer was on the phone with Evergy.
Evergy reminds customers its employees will never send anybody to a home or business to offer a discount or pay through a third-party app. It also says it will never ask customers to pay with gift cards.
Locally, Emporia Police says somebody may be passing fraudulent checks from Murphy Agra LLC after allegedly doing the same thing recently in Greenwood County. The only suspect description is a white male.
Evergy customers who suspect a scam effort can call Evergy at 800-383-1183. Emporians or Greenwood County residents who have information about the Murphy Agra fraudulent check scheme can call Emporia Police at 620-343-4225 or the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office at 620-583-5568.
