Today’s scammers are frighteningly good at bilking people out of their hard-earned money. That’s why it’s so important to know how to react if you’re being targeted.
The initial contact often comes as a call or an email, occasionally it’s a person at your door. No matter how it’s delivered, the message is clear: “We’re from the utility you owe us money. Pay up now or we’ll put you in the dark.”
Clark Public Utilities never has and would never blindside customers with such a shocking demand. But the scammer’s goal isn’t to mimic our customer service. It’s to use our name and position in the community to intimidate people out of their money.
If they call, “Clark Public Utilities” will probably appear on the caller ID. An automated system on the other side of the line may sound just like the utility’s system. The system may direct you to call another number, or have you wait on the line. Then the person you speak with may or may not be friendly, and they’ll likely ask you to confirm some details about you and “your account.” In reality, they may not actually know those details but are asking the question to imply they do and they’re asking you to verify it. They may even know some of your information, which is publicly available from a quick internet search. Once you’ve responded, they hit you with the bad news, you owe them a lot of money. They’re counting on that demand to catch you off guard and rush you into making a payment.
They often target small businesses during busy hours — when losing power would be disastrous to reputation and revenues.
“Customers should always verify a person works for Clark Public Utilities,” said Customer Service Manager Robert Hill. “Scammers are very convincing, so you should never take a caller or emailer at their word when they say who they’re representing.”
To put it plainly: Anyone who contacts you claiming to be from the utility and threatening to disconnect your power on the spot is a fraud. Pure and simple. Hang up on them or delete the email.
If you don’t, the biggest red flags are about to be waving high.
Scammers usually direct their targets to go to a store and purchase prepaid gift, debit or Green Dot cards, then call a specific phone number to make the payment. Again, the automated system sounds just like the utility’s.
“Clark Public Utilities will never demand a payment method like that,” Hill said. “If anyone ever directs you to pay them with gift cards cease the discussion immediately.”
If you give a gift card number to a scammer they’ll take it and vanish. Sadly, many victims only realize they’ve been had after they’ve lost money.
Victims should file a police report and a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission, but it’s highly unlikely they’ll get that money back. Scammers choose payment methods that are near impossible to trace. As a public utility, Clark Public Utilities cannot reimburse customers who’ve fallen for a fraud.
The best way to protect yourself is to be cautious. If someone claiming to be from the utility contacts you, hang up or close the door and call the utility directly to verify the contact was made by an actual employee.
“A utility employee will never argue, try to keep you on the line or hesitate to share identification because a customer wants to be cautious,” Hill said. “We do it all the time.”
Clark Public Utilities customer service representatives are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year at 360-992-3000.
More information on protecting yourself from scams is available at clarkpublicutilities.com.
Energy Adviser is written by Clark Public Utilities. Send questions to ecod@clarkpud.com or to Energy Adviser, c/o Clark Public Utilities, P.O. Box 8900, Vancouver, WA 98668.
