Cooperative Living August 2022 - 20

CLOSER LOOK
Stay Ahead of Scammers
Calling your co-op is the best defense against con artists
by Paul Wesslund, Contributing Writer
T
the
he Better Business Bureau says
it receives about 1,000
complaints of utility scams
each year. Let's look at a few common
scenarios of utility scams:
* You receive a random call. The
caller says you didn't pay your last
electric bill and your power will be
cut off immediately unless you pay
right now by credit card over the
phone. Caller ID shows it came from
yo
the utility; they even told you the
the
receive an a
efund
anci
en
exact amount ofyour mo
* YouYou
ler
utili
u
ed
the
lert that you
to
ion
most recent bill.nt
ou
most recent bill.
overpaid your utility bill and, to
the
to
get the refund, you need to provide
your financial information.
*
get the refund, you need to provide
A friendly couple in uniform
in uniform
knocks on your door saying they're
from the power company and areare
following up on high-bibilll complaints
he 'r
ompany
following up on high-bill complaints
from your neighbors. They just need
ng up
om
to
y
your neigh
ke a look at yo
g
the can et th
ke ur
ike
e in m
for
make sure you aren't beieing
ake sure you aren't being doublefor
't
echarged.
These
real-life stories may seem
like obvious scams. Whowould ever
fall for them? About one in four
people, it turns out.
SURPRISE SCAMS
While most people do the righthe rig t
thing and hang up the phone or
contact their utility rather than h
over money or private informatioion,
er mone or
to
ri
er
for
ep
Unit
am th
rathe than and
te
more than $6 billion in losses to
various scams were reported in 20in 2021.
According to Utilities United Against
Scams, the typical cost for each vi
who lost money was about $500.
Reading about avoiding utility
scams makes it sound pretty simple.
But scammers take you by surprise.
18 ● Cooperative Living ●
August 2022
Paul Wesslund writes on consumer and cooperative affairs for the
National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.
co-opliving.com
ypica cost for each victim
They
us
to take a look at your utility bill so
the can et th
ation code tode to
ng doublecomplaints
eed
knoc
LATEST
FRAUDS
Con artists keep up with
technology. They'll come at you
through email and texting. In one of
the top recent scams, you're told to
pay by gift or cash card, giving the
swindlers the card and PIN number
so they can have easier access to your
They might be the most charming
people you ever met. They might be
the meanest and most intimidating,
bullying you into acting. It can be
hard to say " no " in the moment.
Scammers are notorious for
recognizing when people are most
vulnerable - Christmas, right after
a hurricane or tornado, or with the
approach of really hot or cold
weather. Fraud reports skyrocketed
during the COVID-19 pandemic.
FTC figures show complaints rising
from almost 3.5 million in 2019 to
more than 5.5 million in 2021.
The typical
cost for each
scam victim who
lost money was
about $500.
money. (Hint: a utility
will never ask you to payto pay
by gift card.)
by ift car .)
pay your bill with cryptocurren
electric co-op will not require you
pay by
pay
of
co
pay by bitcoin or similar method
wa towa to
The best
lit
-
y
avoid b
ofa utiility scam is to call y
co op
directly. Scamme
you into acting, but n
urg
lling
Another new scheme tetells you tou to
co-op will not require you to
ncy. YourYou
ds.
fa utility scam is to call your electric
op
scam is to ca your electric
If you do lose money on a scam,
don't be embarrassed. Report it to your
electric co-op. The state attorney general
is responsible for going after fraud and
will want to know about any suspicious
schemes. You might even be able to
get your money back.
Letting the appropriate contacts
know about a scamming operation can
help protect others in our community
and let you feel secure in enjoying your
electric service. 
PROTECT YOURSELF FROM UTILITY SCAMS
* Never give personal
information to an
unknown visitor or
caller.
* Demands for payment
by gift card or
crytocurrency should
immediately raise
red flags.
* When in doubt,
call your electric
co-op directly.
eineing a victim
lect
you into acting, but no billing situation
is so urgent you can't check on it.
rs will try to rush
situ
ll try to rush
ion
X
!
http://www.bill.nt http://www.co-opliving.com
Cooperative Living August 2022

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