Late-payment Phishing Scam

This old scam keeps surfacing because it keeps working…

Who Is It Targeting: Residences and businesses

What Are They After: Some of the more common scams out there keep resurfacing because they work so well. In this highly-common utility scam, a caller informs you that there’s a late charge on your account for failing to submit your previous payment. Failure to make payment immediately over the phone will result in having your service cut off.

This scam sometimes picks up at certain times of the year, coinciding with any kind of weather extreme. No one wants to think of losing their electric service during very cold or very hot months, so they’re more likely to fall for it.

How Can You Avoid It:

• Never make a payment over the phone to someone who contacts you.
• If in doubt, hang up and contact the utility company yourself to verify any issues with your account.
• NEVER make payment to someone who demands it in the form of iTunes gift card, prepaid debit cards, or wire transfer.

Find more information about current scams and alerts here. For full details of this scam check out this article from WNEM.com.

If you think you may be a victim of identity theft, contact the Identity Theft Resource Center for toll-free, no-cost assistance at (888) 400-5530.