As part of the eighth annual Utility Scam Awareness Day, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Wednesday reminded customers to be wary of scammers posing as employees.
Utility Scam Awareness Day, which is observed on Nov.15, is an advocacy and awareness campaign focused on educating customers about, and exposing, scammer tactics, according to DWP.
In recent years, the department and other utilities have seen increased reports of customers being contacted by people who pose as utility workers in an attempt to access their financial information, or to obtain immediate payment by threatening service interruptions.
One of the most common scam tactics reported to DWP involves a caller pretending to be an employee who demands that a customer pay their bill using a third-party digital mobile payment method such as Cash App, Zelle or Venmo.
DWP reminded its customers that it does not accept payment through those methods.
“We will never ask a customer for Zelle or Venmo or send a customer to a local drug store or liquor store to pay their bill via an ATM or Crypto currency machine,” LADWP Chief Customer Officer George Rofail said in a statement.“Sadly, we receive reports from customers who complied with these scam requests and lost their money.”
LADWP customers can report suspected scams online at
www.ladwp.com/scamalert or call 1-800-342-5397.
DWP joined Utilities United Against Scams to observe Utility Scam Awareness Day, which is also part of a larger weeklong event.
International Fraud Awareness Week is observed globally usually in the third week of November.This year, the event takes place from Nov.12-18.
UUAS, a consortium of more than 150 U.S.
and Canadian electric, water, and natural gas utilities and their respective trade associations, has raised customer awareness of common scams and new scam tactics used by utility impostors since its founding in 2016.
The theme of this year’s UUAS campaign is “Screen the Search,” which reflects the rise in utility impostor scams through digital methods, including search engine-related scams.
Digital scam tactics that customers should be aware of include:
— Sponsored ads on search engines that lead to an identical — but fake — utility bill payment page;
— QR codes that scammers falsely claim link to a utility payment page; and
— Texts from a scammer claiming to be a utility representative, with a link to an impostor payment page.
“Utility impostor scammers continue to grow more sophisticated in their tactics.Increasingly, we are seeing scammers use digital methods that target both younger and older generations,” UUAS Executive Director Monica Martinez said in a statement.
She urged utility customers to stop and verify any unusual utility company requests before making a payment, regardless of whether the customer is contacted via phone, internet, or in person.
According to DWP, the defense against getting scammed is knowing the signs and understanding DWP’s polices.
Water officials said signs of a scam may look like a threat to cut service unless an immediate payment is made; a demand that customers use bitcoin, prepaid cards or apps like Venmo or Zelle to make their payments; and pressure to act fact.
“If customers receive a call demanding payment like this, we urge you to stop, slow down and even hang up.Then, call us directly or check your account status online at ladwp.com 24/7,” Rofail said.“Just taking that one step can save you from theft.”
If the caller tells the customer that their last payment was not processed, DWP suggests customers verify their payment was processed with their bank as opposed to sending money to the caller.
Customers who suspect they have been victims of fraud or who feel threatened during contact with a scammer should contact local law enforcement authorities.
The Federal Trade Commission also provides additional information about protecting personal information and other information regarding impostor scams..