CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) -
In these tough economic times, if someone offered to pay half of your utilities bills - you just have to give him the other half in cash - would you do it?
Some Charlotte residents did. They found out it was a scam.
City officials say 16 people have been victimized by the con artist.
A 59 year old woman who doesn't want her name used says relatives told her about the man, who claimed to work for a non profit and is paying half of utility bills.
The woman says she was hesitant at first. But when her relatives confirmed their accounts had zero balances, she decided to give the scammer cash for half of her bills. She says she watched him pay by telephone with an electronic check.
The woman tells WBTV when she checked her accounts, there were zero balances. Then she received letters from Duke Energy and Charlotte Mecklenburg Revenue telling her the checks bounced.
"Never ever trust anybody no matter how presentable, respectable and everything they appear to be. Never ever trust anybody with your cash money", the woman tells WBTV.
The woman had to come up with the money to pay her bills or face disconnection.
The scam has been successful because people are referring friends and relatives to the man. By the time they realize it was a con, the people they referred had already handed over their cash.
CMPD are trying to find him.
