In the “season of giving,” there always seems to be people or groups of people who see it as the season of taking.

The North Platte Police Department says they have received numerous reports of a scam involving callers who claim to be representatives of Municipal Light and Water.

According to Investigator John Deal, citizens have reported receiving calls from different phone numbers.  But, in each case, the callers claim that the victims are behind on their utility bills. The callers then ask for payment, usually via prepaid credit card, wire transfer or a gift card.  The victims are told that their utilities will be shut off if they don’t pay, according to Deal.

The scammers are quite crafty too. Deal says when citizens call the number that called back, they hear the same automated greeting used by ML&W, and are eventually connected to a live person requesting payment.

Officials at ML&W say they do not contact customers by phone to request payment, and will only notify their customers about out of order accounts via US Mail.

Investigator Deal says it is not believed that ML&W’s customer database has been breached, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation has been notified of the matter.

The scammers are believed to be from a foreign country, which will make locating and prosecuting them difficult, Deal says.

He says anyone who has received a call of this nature and has given personal information should contact police immediately.

ML&W recommends that customers contact them directly if they believe their account is out of order so proper payment arrangements can be made.