Scammers Impersonate Utility Company, Demand Payment
- 10 years ago
Scammers have resurrected an old trick for extracting money from unsuspecting victims.
Scammers have resurrected an old trick for extracting money from unsuspecting victims. They are impersonating the electric company by using a seemingly legitimate phone number.
This time, the individuals have been contacting Maryland businesses saying there is a new state mandate that requires all commercial locations be equipped with a GPS-enabled meter.
They then tell them the charge is 500 dollars and it must be paid within the half hour with a Green Dot MoneyPak card.
Those who don’t comply, say the callers, will lose their electrical service.
Even though the demands sound suspicious, the number that pops up on the caller ID is legit.
The group has enlisted the help of ‘spoofing’ technology that makes it appear as if they are calling from one of Maryland’s energy supply companies.
Maryland’s attorney general is advising people to require that the callers prove their identity by supplying account-specific information like the holder’s name and address.
Pepco has further advised its customers to be wary of any demand for a specific form of payment, as the actual company would never do so.
Recipients of suspicious calls are asked to contact the Federal Trade Commission.
Scammers have resurrected an old trick for extracting money from unsuspecting victims. They are impersonating the electric company by using a seemingly legitimate phone number.
This time, the individuals have been contacting Maryland businesses saying there is a new state mandate that requires all commercial locations be equipped with a GPS-enabled meter.
They then tell them the charge is 500 dollars and it must be paid within the half hour with a Green Dot MoneyPak card.
Those who don’t comply, say the callers, will lose their electrical service.
Even though the demands sound suspicious, the number that pops up on the caller ID is legit.
The group has enlisted the help of ‘spoofing’ technology that makes it appear as if they are calling from one of Maryland’s energy supply companies.
Maryland’s attorney general is advising people to require that the callers prove their identity by supplying account-specific information like the holder’s name and address.
Pepco has further advised its customers to be wary of any demand for a specific form of payment, as the actual company would never do so.
Recipients of suspicious calls are asked to contact the Federal Trade Commission.