A con man posing as a Dominion Resources employee in a phone scam targeting local businesses scammed the owner of Hana Sushi at Gloucester Point out of nearly $1,500.
Restaurant owner Ha Thuy Vong said that that the con man called during business hours on June 22 claiming that Dominion had yet to receive three months of payments for the business’s power bill.
The man, who used the alias Mark Montgomery, told Vong that if she did not pay $1,432 within 45 minutes, the building’s power would be shut down for up to a week. When the owner and staff informed the con man that they had paid all utility bills and had copies of checks to prove it, he claimed that Dominion had no record of the transaction.
When Vong asked about the quickest way to service this balance, she was told that the bill could be paid using cash but that the owner should divide the bill among three temporary debit cards for the quickest processing. She was instructed to ensure she had receipts proving the value of the cards and to meet the man outside the store with the cards in hand so her payment could be quickly submitted. Vong complied with the instructions.
Not long after this first call, the restaurant received another phone call from the same individual. Raven Hudgins, a server who spoke to the con man over the phone, said the caller identified himself as Tony Miller and told her that Dominion had initially billed the wrong amount. Hudgins was told that Hana Sushi’s power bills actually totaled $2,495.30 and once this new balance was paid the previous payment would be refunded via a rebate check in the mail.
The con man gave the address for Dominion’s Richmond office and told the owner and staff to call with any questions. When Vong called the number for the office she was told by a legitimate Dominion employee that there was no outstanding balance; this conflicting information led the restaurant owner to call police.
When officers called the number the con man had used to contact the restaurant he did not answer. However, when the store phone was used the man did pick up the phone. The true source of the calls could not be determined and police informed Vong that, since the money was in the form of temporary debit cards, there was no way to trace it and recover the losses.
The con man used a different alias each time he called and, according to Vong, “had the Dominion account number and all of the account information” which had the restaurant owner and her staff concerned for the security of the business’s data. Vong also reported that the owner of the tobacco shop next to Hana Sushi as well as her sister (who owns a nail salon in Newport News) both received calls from a man operating in an identical manner.
After speaking with these business owners, Vong said she believes that all of these calls can be attributed to the same con man. It is unclear whether this scam is a solo operation or if there are more people involved.
“I have a very good business,” Vong said, “but I could not close for five to seven days while my power is turned back on. That is why I paid.” She said that since the lost money cannot be recovered, she is working to ensure no other business owner becomes a victim of this scam.
She also warned that business owners should be cautious of callers claiming to work for Dominion Resources who ask for such an unconventional form of bill payment.
Dominion Resources will never ask for immediate payment in the form of cash, temporary debit cards, or PayPal, according to the company’s website. According to an online customer newsletter, employees carry company-issued picture ID and Dominion Resources encourages customers to call 1-866-366-4357 to verify callers or visitors as legitimate.