Police are warning residents of a reoccurring phone scam in which callers pretend to be from

At least one resident has been duped out of about $1,900, said Brad Roach, detective with the Durango Police Department.

Several others have reported receiving suspicious phone calls during the past couple of weeks, he said.

The person who fell for the scam was advised that LPEA’s billing system was down, so the “customer” was asked to make a payment to a Green Dot card, which is a prepaid credit card that can be reloaded with money.

Once the person made payment, the money was essentially gone, probably somewhere overseas, Roach said.

LPEA spokeswoman Indiana Reed said customers will receive a series of notices and adequate time to settle their bills before electricity is disconnected.

If anyone is suspicious about a phone call, they should politely end the conversation and call LPEA’s customer service department directly to clarify any questions about billing.

LPEA does not accept credit card payments over the phone.

shane@durangoherald.com