Seattle City Light released a statement yesterday urging customers to be wary of telephone con artists posing as utility bill collectors, and advising customers on ways to safeguard against such scams.
In the past week, the utility received at least two reports of phone calls from con artists claiming to be electric utility employees who were ready to disconnect their electricity. The scammers appear to be targeting residents with Asian surnames and similar businesses.
Here’s a rundown of the scam, which has reported several times over the last few years: callers target City Light customers claiming there is a problem with the payment of the customers’ bill. They then ask for a credit card payment over the phone to resolve the matter. According to Seattle City Light, in one instance the caller claimed to work for a different utility.
“If someone asks for your credit card number or Social Security number over the phone, don’t give it to them,” Customer Service Director Kelly Enright said in the statement. “We never demand immediate payment to avoid a shutoff for one late payment or use Social Security numbers as part of our billing process.”
According to City Light, customers who may be behind on their bill and at risk of having the power turned off, will first receive at least two written warnings asking the customer to contact the utility directly to make a payment.
City Light also sent the following reminders to customers:
- Seattle City Light accepts credit card payments at a customer’s request, but never demands or solicits credit card information to pay a bill.
- Seattle City Light does not call customers on weekends about their utility account.
- Seattle City Light employees carry identification with the City Light logo and will always display it when asked.
If you suspect that you’ve been targeted by a similar scam, City Light advises you take down the name and telephone number of the caller, and before providing any credit information, call City Light at 684-3000 to first verify that the request is legitimate.
If a customer believes he or she has been contacted by a con artist, they are urged to contact the Seattle Police Department at (206) 625-5011 to report the incident.
“Sadly, there are criminals out there who will try to take advantage of another with the false threat of cutting off their electricity,” Enright said. “Seattle City Light wants to help its customers protect themselves from scam artists and the best way to do that is to be informed.”