Scammers are targeting both residential and small businesses in droves, according to a new warning from ComEd.
ComEd said that the amount of attempted impersonations was nearly eight times more in December 2015 than December 2014. Starting in November 2015, the amount of scam attempts reported by customers increased by 260 percent.
The Illinois Commerce Commission advises customers that they will be alerted in advance if their services are in danger of disconnection, and to never give money to anyone claiming to be from ComEd.
More details from Business Wire:
Scammers are contacting customers by phone and in-person claiming to be ComEd representatives and telling them their service will be disconnected unless payment is made. They instruct the individual to wire funds or buy a prepaid credit card and call them back with the personal identification number (PIN). Variations of the scam include stories that the customer’s billing cycle has changed and payment is needed immediately, or that the account is past due and immediate payment is required to avoid disconnection of service, or that the customer’s previous payments were not accepted or processed.
“ComEd wants to protect its customers from these types of deceptive schemes. It’s not current practice for ComEd to ask a customer to purchase a prepaid credit card or to make a payment on a bill,” said Fidel Marquez, senior vice president of Governmental and External Affairs, ComEd. “If customers are ever unsure about the status of their accounts, they should always contact ComEd for verification.”
ComEd is committed to keeping our customers informed and provides scam alert information via a variety of communications channels including website, social media outlets, press notifications and direct marketing materials. As a result of the heightened scam reports, the company will increase its communication efforts and continue working with the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) to advise customers on the appropriate way to prevent scam situations.
ComEd also stated that technicians will never ask customers for personal financial information, and that ComEd representatives will always have a current company photo ID.
Photo by Martin Cathrae via Flickr CC License
