Homer City woman, police thwart utility bill scam
State troopers said they thwarted a scam this month in Indiana County and arrested a New Jersey man believed to be part of it.
Trooper Cliff Greenfield said a Homer City woman noticed on Feb. 12 an unusual charge on a utility bill. A person who she believed was in customer service at the utility company instructed her to access two websites and her bank accounts. At some point, Greenfield said $29,999 was deposited into her bank account.
She was instructed that $29,700 of the amount was made in error and to give the cash to a courier who would stop by her home at 11:30 p.m. The woman called state police after she noticed a suspicious Dodge Charger outside her home about 11 p.m.
Greenfield said they found the car on Main Street in Homer City with Srinivas Rasala, 24, behind the wheel. He was charged with theft and was denied bail. Rasala was being held at the Indiana County Prison. A preliminary hearing is set for Feb. 28.
Greenfield said troopers determined the customer service number the woman contacted was fraudulent and that $29,999 was transferred into her bank account from a linked account.
Renatta Signorini is a TribLive reporter covering breaking news, crime, courts and Jeannette. She has been working at the Trib since 2005. She can be reached at rsignorini@triblive.com.
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