Scam Awareness Day: Keep From Falling Victim

It’s a familiar and all-too-often tale. Someone somewhere tries to take someone else’s hard-earned money. And in today’s world, it can be as easy as sending a text.

Wednesday, Nov. 15, marks the eighth annual Utility Scam Awareness Day, an advocacy and awareness campaign focused on educating customers about — and exposing — scammer tactics. EMEPA recognizes this effort and encourages all employees to be aware of the most common ways scammers try to fool our members, so you can help them avoid falling victim.

The most common utility scam occurs when the fraudster calls and says an electric bill payment is past due, and that service will be disconnected if payment isn’t made right away. Although the scam can differ, targets are frequently directed to transfer funds electronically, sometimes through “MoneyPak,” “Green Dot” or another third-party card or transfer system.

Other efforts include insisting on an immediate deposit for a new meter, sending texts or emails that sometimes include realistic looking links or information, or going door-to-door posing as utility employees to collect payments. Scammers also have asked their targets to use Federal Reserve Bank routing numbers and Social Security numbers to pay bills.

Here are some tips to help members combat these tactics:

• It is best not to respond. Hang up the phone, ignore the text, delete the email and contact EMEPA directly.
• Never allow unannounced or suspicious individuals into the home. If something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. Call 911.
• Never give out personal or banking information by email or phone, including Social Security numbers, dates of birth or account numbers.
• Never click on links or attachments in unsolicited emails or text messages.
• Only pay EMEPA bills through one of our safe and secure methods.
• Remember that we don’t accept payments using prepaid or gift cards, cash reload cards, cryptocurrency (e.g., bitcoin) or wire transfers.
• Before doing business online, secure all financial accounts with strong passwords and use different passwords for each account.
• Be wary of promotions and offers that request personal information.
• Check bank and credit card statements routinely.

If someone believes they’re a utility scam victim, they should notify the proper authorities, such as the local police or the state attorney general’s office. They also can visit any of EMEPA's offices Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. or call us at (601) 581-8600.

This annual awareness campaign is organized by Utilities United Against Scams, a consortium of more than 150 utilities and related associations working to raise customer awareness of common scams and new scam tactics used by utility imposters. Through its work and with the help of customer reporting, UUAS has successfully helped to take more than 14,020 toll-free numbers used by scammers against utility customers out of operation.

For more information about how to #StopScams, check out these additional UUAS resources.