Warning Issued About Utility Scams – NBC Connecticut - NBC Connecticut

The genitor institution of the United Illuminating Company, Southern Connecticut Gas and Connecticut Natural Gas is informing customers astir a inferior scam.

AVANGRID, Inc. said it has received respective reports of scammers threatening to disconnect state oregon electrical work unless the lawsuit makes an contiguous outgo implicit the telephone utilizing a prepaid debit card. The institution said astir customers admit the calls arsenic scams, but a tiny fig person been persuaded to marque payments.

“It’s an aged swindle with immoderate caller twists, and we impulse each customers to beryllium vigilant should they tract a suspicious telephone call,” Tracey Pelella, Vice President of Customer Service astatine AVANGRID’s Connecticut companies, said. “We person been notified of palmy scammers who person defrauded customers with cryptocurrency payments. While AVANGRID’s Connecticut companies person a assortment of ways for customers to wage their bills, we volition ne'er petition that a lawsuit wage with cryptocurrency.”

The institution said caller ID mightiness amusement the telephone is coming from the inferior and, successful immoderate cases, the caller seems to person circumstantial cognition astir the customers they’re calling, and mightiness ay adjacent supply a callback fig with a recorded greeting akin to the vigor company’s lawsuit work line.

Typically, the caller informs the lawsuit that a unit is connected the mode to unopen disconnected work unless an contiguous outgo is made and the caller mightiness accidental the institution had not received a caller outgo oregon incorrectly processed a payment, truthful the lawsuit indispensable wage again, according to AVANGRID.

Then, the caller often demands the unfortunate bargain a prepaid debit card, specified arsenic a “Green Dot” card, to marque the payment.

AVANGRID said this is simply a definite motion of a scam.

They said scammers person successfully defrauded vigor customers by requesting cryptocurrency payments implicit the telephone aft posing arsenic an vigor institution and customers person besides been asked by scammers to question to circumstantial locations to wage their bills.

Commercial establishments person been targeted, including restaurants, sandwich shops oregon markets soon earlier their busiest luncheon oregon meal periods, and residential customers person besides reported receiving calls.

AVANGRID Warns of Red Flags of Utility Scam

AVANGRID said customers should verify each accusation earlier making payments implicit the phone, and should admit the pursuing reddish flags:

• It doesn’t adhd up: UI, SCG, and CNG don’t telephone customers for outgo if the relationship is successful bully standing.
• Timing and urgency: If a lawsuit falls down connected payments, customers volition person a announcement with circumstantial instructions, and volition person an accidental to wage oregon participate a outgo arrangement. AVANGRID’s companies bash not disconnect work connected Fridays, weekends, State holidays, oregon immoderate clip the Customer Care Center is closed.
• Demanding a circumstantial signifier of payment: AVANGRID companies judge a assortment of outgo types, including recognition cards, check, and more. These options tin beryllium recovered connected the company’s website. If a caller insists connected outgo via a prepaid debit paper — particularly a circumstantial marque of prepaid paper — it is simply a scam.

How Customers Can Protect Themselves

Simple steps customers tin instrumentality to support themselves include:

• Check relationship status: Creating an online illustration astatine the company’s website is simply a speedy mode to cheque relationship status. Customers tin besides telephone the company’s Customer Care Center astatine the fig recovered connected the measure oregon the company’s website. (Do not usage callback numbers provided by unsolicited callers). Representatives tin verify relationship presumption and enactment with customers to resoluteness immoderate issues.
• Check ID: Employees of each AVANGRID companies transportation company-issued IDs. Ask for ID from immoderate in-person visitant and telephone the institution to verify their individuality and quality of their business. Use the fig connected the company’s measure oregon website. Our employees are blessed to comply with an individuality verification request.
• Protect idiosyncratic information: Customers should ne'er stock idiosyncratic oregon fiscal information, including outstanding balances, without archetypal verifying whom they’re speaking with.
• Collect evidence: Customers who fishy a scam are urged to get the sanction and fig from caller ID, if available, constitute down immoderate call-back fig provided, and instrumentality notes connected what the caller said. This volition assistance investigators enactment with authorities to unopen down the scam.
• Report it: Customers should study the scam to the utility, section instrumentality enforcement, and the Federal Trade Commission (http://www.ftc.gov/). This volition assistance authorities unopen down scams and prosecute the scammers.
• Enroll successful AutoPay: The magnitude owed is automatically deducted from a slope relationship each month, truthful customers volition person nary concerns astir an outstanding balance. More accusation connected this outgo enactment is disposable connected the company’s website.