CMP issues warning on surge in scam attempts
Central Maine Power, a subsidiary of AVANGRID Inc. (NYSE: AGR), on Wednesday issued a warning that its customers should be wary of scammers posing as utility company representatives.
Perpetrators often target commercial establishments such as restaurants, sandwich shops or markets shortly before their busiest lunch or dinner periods, the company said in a release about the scams.
In its release, the company reported that in recent weeks it has received reports of scammers threatening to cut service unless the customer makes an immediate payment over the phone using a prepaid debit card. While most customers recognize these calls as scams, a small number have been persuaded to make payments.
“It’s an old swindle with some new twists,” CMP said in its statement. “Caller ID may show the call is coming from the utility. In some cases, the perpetrators provide callback numbers that answer with the same recorded greeting as the utility’s customer service line.”
CMP noted that typically the caller informs the customer that a crew is on the way to shut off service unless an immediate payment is made. The perpetrators may tell the customer the utility had not received a recent payment, or had incorrectly processed it, informing the customer they must pay again.
Often, the scammer demands that the victim purchase a prepaid debit card such as “Green Dot” to make the payment.
CMP provided these additional tips to help customers recognize the red flags of phone scams requiring immediate payment:
CMP doesn’t call customers for payment if the account is in good standing.
If a customer falls behind on payments, CMP sends a letter and will call the customer before proceeding with disconnection. Additionally, CMP does not disconnect service on Friday or during the weekend.
CMP accepts a variety payment types, including credit cards and bank transfers. If a caller insists on payment via a prepaid debit card — especially a specific brand of prepaid card — it is a scam.
It also identified steps that customers can take to protect themselves, including creating an online profile at the CMP website as a quick way to check their account status or calling CMP’s customer service line (1-800-750-4000 for residential customers or 1-800-565-3181 for business customers).
Additional information on avoiding scams can be found on CMP’s website.
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