#STOPSCAMS

Covid-19 Scam Alert

Many electric company customers throughout the country are being targeted by impostor utility scams. Unfortunately, scammers take advantage of opportunities such as holidays, natural disasters, and other disruptive scenarios when households are otherwise preoccupied. Customers should be on the lookout for suspicious emails, phone calls, or persons impersonating business employees or charitable organizations.

A few scams seen during the COVID-19 crisis:

• Threat to disconnect: The utility or government representative impostor aggressively tells the customer his or her account is overdue and service will be disconnected if immediate payment is not made.
• Payment due for meter: The caller or in-person scammer instructs the customer to pay with cash or a prepaid debit card to cover the costs of a new meter or a meter upgrade.
• Request for info: The caller insists that a recent payment was not completed and asks the customer to make a false payment using a prepaid debit card or by providing personal account information.
• Door-to-door impostors: The impostor poses as a utility worker at the door asking for access to the home and for payment to inspect utility equipment.

For more information about how customers can protect themselves from common scams, visit Utilities United Against Scams at www.utilitiesunited.org