Con artists are attempting to take advantage of individuals during the frigid winter months by using electricity bill scams.
Utility company frauds have harmed multiple Pennsylvania citizens, including Philadelphia resident Dan Deming. He stated that he grew concerned after receiving a call from someone purporting to be from his electricity provider.
“A gentleman on the other end told me that my service was about to be shut off,” Deming recalled.
Deming, an IT software specialist, began to mistrust himself and his knowledge regarding scams.
“I was really conflicted; I know they try to generate a sense of urgency that your account would be shut off and you will lose your electricity in order to get you to break out the cash. But, on the other side, the guy was really well-spoken — a slick talker — and he knew everything about me,” Deming added.
The caller knew Deming’s address and account number. Deming further stated that the caller mentioned, “My account number had already changed, and he had that earlier account number as well.”
Melanie McGovern of the Better Business Bureau stated that utility scams are a common occurrence. She stated that scammers target businesses and threaten to turn off the energy. Scammers frequently request an untraceable form of payment, such as Bitcoin or a prepaid card.
“And we know that once the money is gone, it is gone. So if that’s the method of payment they’re asking for, that’s a dead giveaway that it’s a fraud,” McGovern said. “If you do get one of these calls just to hang up and call your utility company directly.”
Deming did this, and the power company confirmed that he was ‘not’ facing a shutdown.
“That was kind of the one thing that had been drilled into me that, luckily, I stuck to that day,” Deming told the audience.
Experts also warn that fraudsters can spoof your caller ID, making it appear as if the call is from your power company.
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