SALT LAKE CITY – Rocky Mountain Power and Questar Gas are warning the public of a widespread scam targeting utility customers.
Scammers call customers, claiming to be representatives from their electric or natural gas company. They tell the potential victim that they are overdue on payments for their service and are in jeopardy of being disconnected. The scammer then advises the customer to either make a credit card payment over the phone or call another “special” number.
This is not a legitimate request, and neither Rocky Mountain Power nor Questar Gas follow this practice. If these companies do contact a customer, the representative will always have the customer’s account number. Even then, if you are contacted by phone and have any concerns about the validity of the call, let the caller know you prefer to call them back at the utility’s customer service number.
- Rocky Mountain Power can be reached toll-free at 1-888-221-7070
- Questar Gas can be reached toll-free at 1-800-323-5517
Fraudulent calls have already been made to the homes and businesses of Rocky Mountain Power customers. These calls are similar to those the company warned its Spanish-speaking customers about in the summer of 2012.
“These scammers are in no way associated with our company and we take very seriously any efforts to defraud our customers, especially using our company’s good customer relationships and reputation,” said Karen Gilmore, Rocky Mountain Power’s vice president of customer service.
Customers should never provide unsolicited callers with credit card numbers or any other information that may compromise their financial security. Switching to online billing may also provide more security by avoiding potential theft of utility bills from customers’ mail box or trash can.
Anyone receiving such calls or other forms of contact regarding their utility bill is encouraged to pay close attention to any information, such as the phone number they are asked to call, the number that appears on caller ID or an address where they’re told to send money and report the incident to local police and their utility provider.
“We want to remind customers to be vigilant when anyone calls and requests account information and credit and debit card numbers,” said Brad Markus, Questar Gas general manager of customer relations. “We have been informed some utilities in other states are experiencing an increasing number of incidents where impostors end up stealing money from customers.”
Submitted by: Rocky Mountain Power
Email: [email protected]
Thanks for sharing. I’ve read the same scam discussed at http://www.callercenter.com/blg/articles/electric-company-phone-scam/ and it appears that this scam is becoming prevalent these days.
Isn’t there anything the authorities can do about this?