Created: 8/6/2009 6:44:45 PM 
JACKSONVILLE, FL -- JEA investigators recently discovered that the utility and many customers have been hoodwinked.
"This is absolutely a case of buyer beware," says Gerri Boyce.
Boyce, a spokesperson for the utility company, says that someone has been targeting customers going to third party pay centers.
The person is approaching the JEA customers and offering to pay their electric bill for a fee.
"If it is a $150 bill, he would, for sixty dollars, pay the bill using his credit card," says Boyce.
The problem is the credit card he was using is stolen.
"We have at least 20 customers whose bills were paid with the same stolen credit card," says Boyce.
The person paying the bills would call in and give the credit card number to pay the bills. He never swiped the cards.
The JEA is now telling the affected customers that they will have to pay their bills or their service will be disconnected.
"If someone wants to pay your bill and you don't know them and he's using a credit card, that's a red flag," says Boyce.
JEA investigators believe that this scam may also involve other utility bills.
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