CHICAGO — Illinois authorities are warning Chicago area residents about a scam in which people are impersonating utility employees in an attempt to get customers to pay them.

In a news release, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan and the ICC say they've received complaints from people who say the "scam artists" are telling customers that their service will be cut off unless they pay them.

In some cases, the fake utility workers tell people their accounts are past due or their previous payments were never received.