Officials with the utility say only very rarely would Fairfax Water contact a customer regarding a late payment over the phone.
FAIRFAX, Va. — Fairfax Water officials are warning people to not fall for a phone scam that some customers have reported receiving.
A news release from the utility on Saturday said some customers have gotten calls demanding payments or voicemails that ask them to call Fairfax Water’s emergency dispatch line at 703-698-5613.
“These calls are not from Fairfax Water. Do not give your personal information to this caller. Please only call the emergency dispatch line if you are experiencing a water-related emergency, such as reporting a suspected leak,” the letter said.
Fairfax Water says only rarely would they ever contact a consumer by phone regarding a late payment and they do not ask customers to call the dispatch line to discuss late payments. Late payment notices come via mail.
The utility advises customers to stay up to date on their accounts by visiting the customer portal at https://fwcustomer.org/.
If you think a scammer has tried to contact you, Fairfax Water advises you to:
- Depending on the scenario, contact the Fairfax County Police Department and/or the Federal Trade Commission to file a report.
- If you are unsure, call Fairfax Water at 703-698-5800, TTY 711 during normal business hours Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
Fairfax Water also provides the following tips to avoid being scammed:
- If you receive a call offering “discounts,” requesting account information, or offering to pay your bill – this is a scam. Fairfax Water does not call asking for your account information nor does it offer discounts for service.
- Fairfax Water will not ask you to call the utility back at a toll-free number (such as 1-800 or 1-888).
- Fairfax Water employees have photo identification with them at all times while on the job.
- If someone comes to your door and identifies themselves as a Fairfax Water employee, ask for their identification or call 703-698-5800, TTY 711 to verify before letting them into your home.
- Fairfax Water employees do not receive or accept any form of payments during service calls and do not collect water-service fees door-to-door.
- Most water meters are located outside of a customer’s home. Therefore Fairfax Water employees typically DO NOT require access to a customer’s home to read a meter.
