First Posted: 3/6/2015
The countdown is on, 12 days until the first day of spring. I think everyone is looking forward to warmer weather and no snow. With that being said, spring does bring new scams to our area. The scams we are seeing now are not our usual spring scams like the travelers or the blacktop guys that usually come in our area at this time of year.
But with the cold temperatures this winter, electric bills have skyrocketed and made the higher bills a centerpiece of a scam sweeping the country.
It works like this: You get a phone call from someone claiming to represent your electric company, saying your account is very delinquent and you are in danger of having your service disconnected within an hour if you do not pay immediately. They claim they can only accept payment through a pre-paid debit card, such as those you can purchase at the local grocery or drug store. The scammers attempt to scare you, claiming your service could take a minimum of several hours, and possibly days, to be restored, and that you would likely incur severe damages to your home from frozen pipes if that happens.
A legitimate electric company will not shut off your power without having sent you multiple notifications over the course of several weeks. They very seldom call; they usually correspond through mailed letters. Also, nearly all utilities now offer several payment options, such as online payment through their website, by phone, by mail and in person.
If you have doubts the call is legitimate, never pay before you check it out by calling the customer service number listed on an old bill or call the Better Business Bureau.
Another popular one has to do with Yellow Pages. A lot of us still remember the commercial jingle for the Yellow Pages that said, “Let your fingers do the walking through the Yellow Pages.” The Yellow Pages were a vital part of life before the Internet. Their trademark of fingers appearing to be walking on an open book was one of the most recognized and trusted in the world.
In this scam, con artists will call a business to “verify” or “confirm” a company’s contact information for its listing in a business directory. The problem is there is no existing listing or often even a real business directory. Once this information is obtained, the scammer will con the unsuspecting person answering the phone into saying “Yes, the information is correct.” The scammer then bills the company a huge amount of money. If challenged by a complaining company, they often produce a “doctored” audiotape of the conversation and threaten excessive late fees and legal action if the bill is not paid. The scammers rely on their intimidating tactics coercing you to pay the bogus bill.
Another popular Yellow Pages scam is even simpler. Scammers will mail or fax a business an official looking Past Due invoice, complete with a Yellow Pages logo. It will have a stern warning indicating you have failed to pay the invoice and that your file has been turned over to Debt Collectors Inc., Equifax and TransUnion. It comes complete with an order ID, a product name, a vendor number and a list of directory listings and other supposed purchases. The Past Due form has a space for you to provide your credit card number and signature. In this case, the scammers are hoping for a double dip, which you will send them the completed credit card form and information for the amount of the bogus bill and even better, you have given them your credit card number!
Don’t let scammers get into your hard-earned green! If you have doubts about the authenticity of the bill, check with your local Better Business Bureau.
