Gurnee police warn of phone scam

A caller who disguised himself ComEd employee attempted Monday to scam a Gurnee resident out of $199.

Gurnee Police are telling residents to be cautious after the incident, in which the caller said an immediate payment was required to keep their electricity on.

The caller reasoned that the payment was necessary because the homeowner recently switched to Ambit Energy, and that a payment over the phone by credit card or check-by-phone was necessary.

The homeowner had neither switched to Ambit Energy, nor does ComEd require payment for switching to another provider.

Police warned against unexpected demands for an immediate payment over the phone.

“Experience tells us that unanticipated and pressured phone solicitations stressing an overwhelming sense of urgency and immediate action are fraud attempts virtually 100 percent of the time,” police said in a statement.

Anyone with questions can call the crime prevention line at (847) 599-7080.