New York State Division of Consumer Protection (DCP) and the Department of Public Service are alerting consumers of another phone scam in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis whereby scammers threaten to suspend electricity services unless immediate payment is made for past due balances. Payment has been requested by means of untraceable services, including money transfer apps, including Cash App.
Scammers may also attempt to steal personal information. In these cases, the caller “spoofs” the official phone number of the Department of Public Service and calls individuals seeking payment for outstanding utility bills to avoid disconnection of service. Pursuant to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s directive on March 13, the Department of Public Service worked with the state’s utility companies to ensure no New Yorkers would have their utilities cutoff for nonpayment during the PAUSE. Similar action was taken during Super Storm Sandy, the 2014 Polar Vortex and the 2008 financial crisis.
“Unfortunately, these types of scams appear from time to time targeting unsuspecting New Yorkers with nefarious tactics, including spoofing official government agencies and utility companies,” said New York State Secretary of State Rossana Rosado. “Be alert and follow some safety tips when you are called or approached by scammers in order to avoid falling victims of tricks to get your hard-earned money.”
In addition, calls have also been reported to be coming from scammers purporting to be from New York electric and gas utilities. The callers ask for consumer information, including utility account numbers, social security numbers, dates of birth and request payment for alleged past-due bills. Similar to a Social Security scam detailed in June 2019, in these cases the caller “spoofs” official phone numbers of state agencies or utility companies and call individuals seeking information that could be used to steal identities. Spoofing is when a caller deliberately falsifies the information transmitted to a caller ID display to disguise their identity, according to the Federal Communications Commission. In actuality, the call could be coming from anywhere in the world.
