Description

On August 30, 2025, I received a phone call from someone claiming to be a Con Edison representative. The caller stated that my utility service would be disconnected if I did not immediately pay a balance of $998.56. I asked if the bill could be paid via debit card, but I was told that, because it was a weekend, Con Edison would only accept cash. I was instructed to withdraw money from my bank and then pay in cash at a Walgreens or CVS using a barcode they provided. I followed these instructions and paid the amount. Shortly after, I was told that I had to pay an additional $1,000 to prevent service disconnection, with the promise that this amount would be refunded in three business days. I spent this amount as well. On September 2, 2025, when I called the same number to confirm the refund, I was told I needed to pay another $500 to have the refund mailed overnight. I complied, but became suspicious. I then contacted Con Edison directly and learned that I had been scammed out of a total of $2,500. I immediately reported the incident to my bank’s fraud unit. However, since the payments were made in cash, the bank informed me they could not issue a refund. This was a fraudulent scheme impersonating Con Edison, and I lost $2,500 as a result.