Franklin, TN – Scams used to swindle unsuspecting Middle Tennesseans out of their money through a popular cash-loadable card is on the rise, and Franklin residents are not immune. Just yesterday, a felon used the phone to call on a Franklin family, pretending to be the electric company. The female caller told the victim that her electricity would be turned off unless she immediately paid $300 using a MoneyPak card. With below-freezing Tuesday night lows forecasted, the victim acted quickly to satisfy the fee to avoid having her power cut off. With a trip to a local drugstore, the victim purchased a Green Dot MoneyPak, loading it with $300, providing the scam-artist with the PIN on the back of the card. The suspect then demanded another $300 MoneyPak transaction; the victim complied. Both cards had been emptied before the resident realized that she had fallen victim to fraud.
Franklin Police recommend never transferring funds through third-party wire or card services before first calling an official, listed telephone number for the company you are doing business with. Franklin Police have also confirmed that Middle Tennessee Electric never accepts payment over the telephone unless the call is initiated by the customer.
On the main page of its website, MoneyPak lists information on “How to Stop a Scam,” telling consumers to use their MoneyPak number only with businesses on their approved list. The site states, “If anyone else asks for your MoneyPak number or information from your receipt, it’s probably a scam.”
To send an anonymous tip to Franklin Police, text the keyword 615FPD, along with your message to 847411 (Tip411), or call Franklin Police at (615) 794-2513.
