Miguel Alicea is the owner of Miguelos Cafe & Bar, a Puerto Rican restaurant known for its Mofongo.
Alicea said his newly opened business is his baby. “This is my life,” he said in Spanish.
- Suspects targeted nearly 10 businesses in downtown Kissimmee
- Call claimed to be KUA, threatened service disconnect without payment
However, he recently felt threatened when he received a phone call from someone identifying themselves as a Kissimmee Utility Authority representative, wanting to disconnect service due to an unpaid bill. The caller demanded payment in the next 45 minutes, something that raised a red flag.
Miguelos Cafe & Bar in downtown Kissimmee is one of the nearly 10 businesses that were targeted. And one of those businesses was actually scammed. A liquor store in Osceola Parkway wired $900 through MoneyGram, a big chunk of change they will not get back.
“And it's so hard to work everyday for these kind of people to come and take your money… for fraud,” said Debra Estrada, a waiter for Miguelos Cafe & Bar.
KUA is sending out an automated message to businesses in the area, all in an effort to inform the public.
“Well, just to be mindful that if it seems suspicious, go ahead and check it out," said Chris Gent, a spokesperson for KUA. "It’s an extra phone call but it can save you a lot of money and a lot of aggravation.”
“The people responsible need to be caught because they know us small businesses are trying to move forward and scams like this are just holding us back,” Alicea said.
KUA officials said that before terminating service to any client, they mail past-due notices and send an automated reminder call, but never demand direct payment over the telephone. Representatives from KUA always carry proper identification. If you want to contact KUA to confirm an identity, call (407) 933-7777.