Full Notification

Several members of the Santa Clara community have fallen victim to fraud involving a suspect(s) posing as Silicon Valley Power or Santa Clara Police Department employees. In each case, the suspect reaches out to individuals over the phone stating they are owed money for a traffic ticket, warrant and/or past due utility bill. The suspect requests immediate payment, suggesting the easiest way to resolve the matter is to purchase a MoneyPak or Green Dot reloadable cash card (purchased at Walgreen’s, 7-Eleven, etc.). These cards are similar to cash and are not traceable. Once you provide the suspect with the numbers on the back of the card, they can immediately download the value of that card anywhere in the world.

If anyone asks for your reloadable cash card number, information from your receipt or to transfer the reloadable cash card to a PayPal.com account it is most likely a scam. Additionally, do not to pay for something you have purchased via the classifieds, Craigslist.com or to collect a prize or sweepstakes with reloadable cash cards. This, too, is most likely not legitimate.

The Santa Clara Police Department, Silicon Valley Power and any legitimate business would never ask you to pay in this way. If you question whether the call is valid, hang up and call the company via the customer service phone number on your bill. If you would like to report such illegal activity, contact the Santa Clara Police Department at (408) 615-4700.