KNOX, Pa. (EYT) — Knox Borough Police Department has issued the following press release warning of a phone scam after receiving numerous calls from small businesses in the borough.
Police say the scammer calls acting as a representative of PENELEC. They will tell the small business owner that their electric is going to be shut off due to nonpayment. When the business says they are up to date, the scammer will ask for their account number at PENELEC and their last payment.
When this information is given, the scammer will say they have not received that amount and immediate payment is necessary to avoid termination. The scammer will then give a place to meet or a place to purchase a prepaid card or a money transfer service like WESTERN UNION or MONEY GRAM. Then they ask the small business to contact them when they have reached that meeting point or purchase location.
Once the small business contacts them, the scammer will give them instructions on how to purchase the items or how to fill out the money transfer service so that the scammer will receive the money. There have also been incidents where a scammer posing as a utility worker has come to the business in person and threatened to shut off the power.
These are the facts that First Energy, the parent company of PENELEC, has issued on their website on how they will obtain past due accounts:
• If your account is past due, you will receive a written notice of your account status, with instructions on how to avoid disconnection of service;
• While our representative may call a customer whose bill is in arrears in order to remind them that a payment is due, the representative would explain how a payment can be made using their established payment options which include: One time Bank Draft Payment, One Time Credit Card Payment, Automatic Bank Draft Payment (Checkless), Automatic Credit Card Payments, Pay in Person (Authorized Payment Agents), Pay by Phone, Pay by Mail, Security Deposits. They will not demand payment over the phone, in person, or at a particular physical location; and
• Our utilities do not accept prepaid debit cards or wire transfers as payment, and our representatives will not demand your bank information or credit card number over the phone.
Here is what you should do if you or your small business is contacted by one of these scammers:
• If you receive a suspicious call. HANG UP IMMEDIATELY;
• Be aware that scammers often use caller ID spoofing software to misrepresent the source of a phone call, or provide you with a fake “verification” phone number, These call-back numbers may even include exact replicas of company greetings and hold messaging. If you would like to verify your account status, always contact First Energy Customer Service Department, the PENELEC Customer service number is 1·800-545-7741, or you can log in to your account on their website;
• If a person appears at your door demanding payment, do not allow them into your home, and do not provide them with any personal information;
• If you believe you have been a victim of this scam, please contact your local police department or your state attorney general’s office; and
• If you have purchased a Green Dot card to pay your electric bill and would like to request a refund from Green DOT/MoneyPak, visit www.moneypak.com/refundrequest.aspx.
All of the above information can be located on First Energy website at this address: https://www.firstenergycorp.com/help/safety/scam-info/known-scams.html.
The PA Office of Attorney General recommends reporting possible scams to the Bureau of Consumer Protection by calling 1-800-441-2555 or by visiting the website at www.attorneygeneral.gov/public-protection-division/bureau-consumer-protection/.
