Delmarva Power marked Utility Scam Awareness Day on Nov. 18 by pointing out energy-related scams that, if successful, steal funds and personal information.
Scams occur throughout the year, but the company generally sees an increase in scam reports during the holiday season.
Scammers are attempting to take advantage of the pandemic’s economic impact to pressure families and businesses who may be struggling with past-due balances.
“Every day, scammers get more sophisticated in their attempts to defraud and steal from our customers. Utility Scam Awareness Day shines a national spotlight on this illegal activity and highlights ways customers can protect themselves from fraudulent activity, especially during the current pandemic and upcoming holidays,” said aid Derrick Dickens, chief customer officer for Pepco Holdings, which includes Delmarva Power.
Commercial customers are advised to protect themselves from potential scam attempts. These offenders impersonate Delmarva Power and other trusted organizations through email or other communication forms to deceive businesses into providing financial information or demanding payments.
Businesses, such as restaurants, have also been targeted in the past, with scams that include demands for payment via prepaid cards.
To help protect their business from scams, staff should:
- Carefully review emails originating from outside your organization’s network.
- Check the sender and business name and make sure it matches the name and business in the email address. Look for misspellings or slight alterations.
- Look for Email messages demanding payment linked to bogus websites.
Common schemes involve scammers’ use of technology to replicate a company’s phone number through caller ID—also known as “spoofing”—threatening to turn off a customer’s service unless they make a direct payment with a prepaid cash card that cannot be traced by police.
Another involves imposters posing as Delmarva Power employees to gain entry into a customer’s home to steal belongings.
All Delmarva Power field employees wear a uniform with the Delmarva Power logo, including a shirt and safety vest. Delmarva Power employees visibly display a company ID badge with the Delmarva Power logo and employee’s name.
If a customer ever questions the call’s legitimacy, hang up and call Delmarva Power at 800-375-7117. Any customer who believes he or she has been a scam target is urged to contact their local police and call Delmarva Power immediately to report the situation.
