The Grays Harbor PUD is warning customers that telephone scammers are targeting people in the area, threatening to shut off their power if payments are not immediately made on accounts that they claim are delinquent.
PUD Customer Service staff have received several calls from both residential and commercial customers reporting they had been contacted by callers claiming to be with the PUD and demanding payments be wired to them, according to a news release issued on Monday. Several of the calls were made over the weekend, which is a strong indication that a scammer is on the other end of the line, said thePUD news release.
“The PUD does not make phone calls threatening power shutoff without immediate wire payment, but more importantly, calls seeking to rectify delinquent accounts are not made on the weekend,” said Customer Service Manager Katy Moore. “If you receive a call from someone claiming to be with the PUD, call our customer service office to verify your account status before you make any payment. These scams only work when people volunteer their personal information.”
Recipients of such fraudulent phone calls and mailings should under no circumstances agree to send money to the callers or give them bank account, credit card or other information. Rather, they are advised to contact PUD Customer Service at (360) 532-4220 to verify the claim and to contact the office of their local law enforcement agency.
Small plane crash
A small plane, described as possibly an ultralight aircraft with a bubble cockpit, crashed into brush near an Ocean Shores residence Friday morning, and the pilot apparently survived without major injury.
A news release from Ocean Shores Police Chief Mike Styner said police were dispatched at 11:40 a.m. to a report of an aircraft accident in the southwest corner of town.
“When officers arrived on scene they found a plane in the brush near a residence. Officers assessed the scene and contacted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) who put officers in touch with personnel from the National Traffic Safety Board (NTSB) who will be responsible for investigating the incident along with the FAA,” the news release said.
The crash was in bushes behind a residence on Sanders Court SW.
Fire Chief Tom Lique said there was no fire caused by the crash, and the Fire Department did not transport anyone to the hospital. The pilot later reportedly was driven to Grays Harbor Community Hospital for treatment of undisclosed injuries. The plane was dismantled and taken from the scene.
SR 109 crash
Two people were injured in a two-car collision at Hogans Corner on Aug. 10. A 2006 Ford Taurus driven by Lloyd W. Osborne, 38, of Puyallup. was travelling southbound on SR 109 when a 2000 Ford Mustang turned northbound onto the highway from the gas station. State Patrol reported Osborne braked the Taurus with a delayed reaction, crossed the center line and struck the Mustang head-on. The driver of the Mustang, Kurt H. Deutsch, 68, of Ocean Shores, was uninjured. Osborne was also uninjured, but his two passengers, James A. Cooper Jr., 29, and Shannon L. Lentz, 47, both of Federal Way, were transported to Grays Harbor Community Hospital for their injuries.
WSP stated drugs and/or alcohol were involved in the accident.
