Hesperia couple victimized in $2,477 scam.

By Allison Scarbrough. OCP Editor.

HESPERIA — A couple from Hesperia, who are business owners, fell victim to a scam last week that resulted in the loss of $2,477, said Lt. Craig Mast of the Oceana County Sheriff’s Office.

“They were contacted by phone and were led to believe that they were talking to a Consumers Energy representative,” Mast said. The caller told them they were behind on their bill and threatened to shut off their utility services if they didn’t report to a CVS Pharmacy store in Muskegon and wire $2,477. The couple did as they were told and transferred the money, Mast said. Unfortunately, local police are not able to enforce the crime because the money is believed to have been transferred out of the country, Mast said.

The sheriff’s office wants the community to know about the fraud, so others do not fall victim to the crime, Mast said. If you are behind on your bill, you will not be contacted by phone by Consumers Energy, he said. “They do not do things in this manner.”

If anyone receives similar suspicious calls, they should contact the sheriff’s office at 231-873-2121 or the Hart post of the Michigan State Police at 231-873-2171.