Cindy McCray knows a scam when she hears one.

McCray, an office manager at Hutchinson’s Dry Cleaners in Butler, was working when she received a phone call from a man claiming to represent West Penn Power.

He told her he was going to shut off Hutchinson’s electricity service unless she made a call and paid over the phone. She told him she had an automatic deduction, but he persisted, saying he was close by and would be there to shut off the power in 20 minutes, unless she paid the bill.

“At that point I realized it was a scam, because I know that’s not how it works,” McCray said.

She took down the telephone number he gave her to call, which was an 800 number, and called West Penn Power to report it.

West Penn Power confirmed that it was indeed a scam, and that the company was not affiliated with that phone number.

McCray also contacted police about the matter, and reported the phone number online as a scam.

West Penn Power spokesman Todd Meyers commented on the scam.

“A billing scam where somebody is telling you that your power bill is past due, and they’re going to terminate your service immediately in the next 30 minutes, that is a red flag right there,” he said.

Meyers said the process before termination of service is a phone call and then a face-to-face notification. There’s even the possibility of a payment plan.

“We have a process that takes weeks, not minutes,” Meyers said.

To report a billing scam to West Penn Power, call 800-686-0021. For more information about billing scams, go online to www.firstenergycorp.com/help/safety/scam-info.html.