From Officer Sullivan: As the summer heat continues so do those who would take advantage of it for criminal endeavors. During extreme temperatures the number of scams related to utilities rises. There are several ways scammers will try to trick and confuse you, below are frequently used scams to be aware of as the mercury rises. Red Flag – Someone asking for payment over the phone – It is really hard to verify who is actually speaking to you on the other end of the phone. You should never give your personal information over the phone to anyone unless you initiated the call. The best way to see if your utility company is trying to get a hold of you is to hang up with whoever called you and call your utility directly. Inquire about your account and see if any issue is flagged on your account. Red Flag – High pressure tactics – Threats to cutting off your service if you do not pay now are not proper utility practices. Scammers will try and use scare tactics to get you to pay the bill right away over the phone. They may threaten to turn your services off, negatively affect your credit or even threaten to charge obscene amounts of fees if it is not paid for now. Red Flag – Random utility company service person showing up at your door – Scammers have become very creative in order to scam people. They will dress the part of the utility person and even make fake ID cards. If a service person shows up at your door with no appointment do not let them in your home. Get the person’s name and then call your utility company that the person is claiming they are from and ask if that person works for the company. If you are still not sure call 911 for Police assistance. Red Flag – Asking for payment to come from a prepaid debit card – All utility companies accept payment by check or credit card. Utility company will not request for a prepaid debit card. Transactions done on prepaid credit cards cannot be reversed so once the transaction is complete there is no way to get your money back if you find out later that it was in fact a scammer. Red Flag – Utility asking to conduct an inspection – An inspection can sometimes be needed at the drop of a hat and at very random times. Follow the red flag from above. Do not let them in and try and get their name so you can confirm who they say they are. This scam is often conducted in pairs so be on high alert if an inspection is needed with a pair of utility people at your door. Once again if something does not seem right call 911. Red Flag – Someone calling you claiming the government will pay for utilities – This is an old scam but still an active one. Someone will call you claiming they are from a government office that is working with your utility company and a new program has started that helps seniors pay utility bills. There are programs that do assist seniors in paying utility bills but you would not receive a call from a government office looking to enroll you. Each state offers different assistance. Contact your city hall to see what is offered in your state. These tips should help you avoid becoming a victim of a utility scam, and remember to call 911 if you have become a victim or to assist in having individuals properly identified.
Posted on: Wed, 17 Jul 2013 19:38:33 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015