FirstEnergy shares tips to prevent
customers from falling victim to common scam tactics
AKRON,
Ohio, Nov. 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Realizing
scammers feed off people's fear of losing heat in the cold weather,
FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) is providing customers with scam
awareness information to help prevent them from falling victim to
scammers during the holiday and winter seasons.
Michelle Henry, senior vice
president of Customer Experience at FirstEnergy: "Although
scammers work year round, they are more active during colder months
because they know customers rely on electricity to stay safe and
warm and are more likely to comply due to fear of disconnection.
Our goal is to help protect the public from imposters looking to
take advantage of customers who are caught off-guard by these very
convincing schemes."
In recent years, utilities across the
United States have seen increased reports of their customers
being contacted by scammers who pose as utility workers to access
their financial information or to obtain immediate payment by
threatening service interruptions. So far in 2023, FirstEnergy
customers have reported more than 1,000 scam attempts to the
company. The actual number of scam attempts is even higher since
many go unreported to the company or law enforcement.
FirstEnergy's customers can reduce their risk of exposure
to utility scammers by keeping the following information in
mind:
- We often make courtesy calls to remind customers about
outstanding balances and send written notices of a possible
disconnection, but we do NOT call or email to demand immediate
payment to avoid a same-day shutoff.
- Utility impostors often require that you use unusual payment
methods like digital payment apps, cryptocurrencies or money transfers. Only send
payments to your FirstEnergy operating
company using our established payment
methods.
- FirstEnergy field collectors working in New Jersey, Maryland and Ohio will offer customers
with past-due accounts the opportunity to pay their bill in person
before disconnecting service. All employees carry
company-issued photo identification.
- Imposters often use Caller ID spoofing software to misrepresent
the source of a phone call to further mislead and confuse their
targets. Call-back numbers provided by these criminals often use
greetings and hold messages that mimic legitimate businesses.
Always contact your electric company using the phone number listed
on your bill or on the FirstEnergy website.
- If you suspect a scam, hang up or close the door and contact
your local police department and FirstEnergy.
- If you have any doubts about the status of your account or the
identity of a FirstEnergy employee, contact your electric
company at the number listed on the website. Never
call the number the scammer provides.
- Utility imposters have spoofed employment listings on
legitimate job-search websites to trick jobseekers into
providing personal data. Verify the authenticity of the posting by
visiting firstenergycorp.com/careers or contacting
FirstEnergy's Human Resources department
at FirstEnergyHR@firstenergycorp.com.
Earlier this month, Utilities United Against Scams (UUAS), a
group consisting of more than 150 utilities and related
organizations including FirstEnergy, educated the public about the
ever-growing list of scams targeting utility customers. Through its
work and with the help of customer reporting, UUAS has successfully
helped to take more than 13,000 toll-free numbers used by scammers
out of operation as of 2022.
The theme of this year's utility scam campaign is "Screen the
Search," which reflects the rise in utility impostor scams through
digital methods, including search-engine related scams.
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.
Monica Martinez, executive
director of UUAS: "We encourage customers to stop and verify
any unusual utility company requests before making a payment,
regardless of whether the customer is contacted via phone, internet
or in person."
FirstEnergy customers are encouraged to visit
firstenergycorp.com/scaminfo periodically for updates and
information on emerging scam activity.
FirstEnergy is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability and
operational excellence. Its 10 electric distribution companies form
one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems,
serving customers in Ohio,
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West
Virginia, Maryland and
New York. The company's
transmission subsidiaries operate approximately 24,000 miles of
transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic
regions. Follow FirstEnergy on X, formerly known as Twitter,
@FirstEnergyCorp or online at firstenergycorp.com.
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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.