Utilities United Against Scams (UUAS) and AEP Texas this week will support International Fraud Awareness Week and will recognize the eighth annual Utility Scam Awareness Day on Wednesday, November 15. Utility Scam Awareness Day is an advocacy and awareness campaign focused on educating customers about, and exposing, scammer tactics.
In recent years, utilities have seen increased reports of their customers being contacted by scammers who pose as utility workers in an attempt to access their financial information or to obtain immediate payment by threatening service interruptions. These are known as utility impostor scams.
"We see increased SMAC activity targeting our customers every day," Omar Lopez, AEP Texas Communications director, said. "We feel an obligation to help protect our customers from SCAM operations, so we support Utilities United Against Scams (UUAS) in the effort to bring awareness to this illegal activity."
Digital scam tactics that customers should be aware of include:
- Sponsored ads on search engines that lead to an identical—but fake—utility bill payment page
- QR codes that scammers falsely claim link to a utility payment page
- Texts from a scammer claiming to be a utility representative, with a link to an impostor payment page
"Together, utilities are working to combat scammers by spreading awareness and partnering with telecom providers to remove access to phone lines for reported scammers. As always, we encourage policymakers to adopt stronger public protections and encourage private citizens and small businesses to stay vigilant against scams," said UUAS Chair and Kissimmee Utility Authority Manager of Customer Service Bud Ajdukovic.
As a reminder, utilities will never ask for payments using a pre-paid debit card, gift card, cryptocurrencies, or third-party digital payment mobile applications, and they will provide multiple notices before any service interruptions are implemented.
Customers who suspect that they have been victims of fraud or who feel threatened during contact with a scammer should contact their local utility company or their local law enforcement authorities. The Federal Trade Commission also provides additional information about protecting personal information and other information regarding impostor scams.
Visit www.utilitiesunited.org for information and tips on how customers can protect themselves from impostor utility scams. Follow along with UUAS on Twitter and Facebook, and join the conversation by using #StopScams.