A Troy woman answered her phone Saturday to an automated voice claiming to be with Troy Utilities, telling her she need to make a payment or her power and water would soon be cut off.

She then called a number the automated message instructed her to phone and spoke to a live person who also instructed her that she needed to pay over the phone.

But neither the automated call or the person was with the department according to Troy Utilities Manager Brian Chandler.

“We and other utilities providers have been experiencing this for years,” Chandler said. “It seems to come in waves. An automated recording, or sometimes a person, says your bill is overdue and you need to call a certain number and give them your bank card number or your power is going to be disconnected or turned off in some period of time … . It’s a big scheme trying to con people out of money by telling them their electric and water is about to be cut off.”

Fortunately, the woman who reported the call to the department was suspicious in part due to the call coming on a Saturday, when the office is not even open, and did not provide any information to the scammer.

Chandler said the department will never call and ask for payment information to be shared over the phone.

“When they call you, hang up and call the city at a known number, either 566-2130 or 566-0177 as opposed to calling a different number that the consumer may not know,” Chandler said.