{"id":775,"date":"2020-07-01T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-07-01T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fraud.flywheelsites.com\/utility_imposter_fraud_alert\/"},"modified":"2020-11-09T07:30:42","modified_gmt":"2020-11-09T07:30:42","slug":"utility_imposter_fraud_alert","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fraud.org\/utility_imposter_fraud_alert\/","title":{"rendered":"Utility shut-off scammers threaten to turn off the lights on consumers during pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the world reels from the COVID-19 pandemic,<\/span><\/span>\u00a0in addition to the threat to public health,<\/span><\/span>\u00a0the virus is also wreaking unprecedented economic havoc. Tens of millions of<\/span><\/span>\u00a0Americans<\/span><\/span>\u00a0are out of work<\/span><\/span>, and\u00a0<\/span><\/span>many are\u00a0<\/span><\/span>wondering how\u00a0<\/span><\/span>we a<\/span><\/span>re going to keep the lights on.\u00a0Unfortunately, scammers are aware of this<\/span><\/span>, too. NCL has<\/span><\/span>\u00a0recently seen a spike in\u00a0<\/span><\/span>consumer\u00a0<\/span><\/span>complaints\u00a0<\/span><\/span>about<\/span><\/span>\u00a0scammers posing as<\/span><\/span>\u00a0local power company<\/span><\/span>\u00a0representative<\/span><\/span>s<\/span><\/span>\u00a0threatening to shut off fearful consumers.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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The anatomy of the scam\u00a0is\u00a0highly consistent:\u00a0a\u00a0consumer receives a call from someone claiming to be with the electric utility\u00a0company. The caller warns the consumer that their power is about to be shut off over an unpaid bill. The only way to avoid this is to pay up immediately, typically via wire transfer, gift card,\u00a0or some other difficult-to-stop payment method.<\/p>\n

Such a call can be very scary\u2014particularly for those who\u00a0may need electricity to power medical devices or run their small business.\u00a0Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many consumers are having trouble keeping up with their bills,\u00a0which may make them even more vulnerable to this scam.\u00a0And even for consumers who are confident they\u2019ve paid their bill, the impending threat of a shut-off at the height of summer heat can cause a panic.<\/p>\n

The story we received recently from a consumer in Detroit, Michigan is typical of these scams. She writes:<\/p>\n

\u201cI was called\u00a0by\u00a0[someone] claiming to be a manager for DTE stating that my\u00a0bill\u00a0had not been paid and my services were going to be shut off and would not be turned back on for another week if\u00a0I didn\u2019t pay him in 40 minutes. I was told to drive to a Speedway where I loaded $400 on to one card and $387.63 on the second card. I immediately gave the man the 14-digit code on the back and he advised me that services would not be shut off.\u201d<\/p>\n

To spot the red flags of these scams, and avoid becoming a victim, here are some tips that you can use:<\/p>\n