AKRON, Ohio, Nov. 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In recognition of Utility Scam Awareness Day on Wednesday, Nov. 20, FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) is offering tips to prevent the public from falling for common utility scams, especially as the cold winter months are fast approaching.

Scammers often prey on the fears of vulnerable customers to steal their personal information and trick them into paying "unpaid bills" to avoid service disconnection. To date in 2024, FirstEnergy has received more than 3,400 reports of scams from customers. The actual number of scam attempts is even higher since many go unreported to the company or law enforcement officials. 

Michelle Henry, Senior Vice President of Customer Experience at FirstEnergy: "Education is key when it comes to helping our customers avoid common utility scams. While we take significant measures to ensure the safety and security of our customer account information, we urge you to be on guard against impostors who claim to be associated with our company." 

Read about known utility scams and how to avoid them on our website.

Utility Scam Awareness Day is organized by Utilities United Against Scams, a group of more than 150 electric companies and related organizations working together to educate customers on how they can prevent becoming victims of utility impostors.

Scammers work year-round, but they tend to be more active during colder months because they know customers rely on electricity to stay safe and warm and are more likely to comply due to fear of disconnection.

Stop Utility Impostors in Their Tracks

Scammers continue to implement sophisticated tactics to impersonate utility companies. It is important that customers can distinguish between legitimate contacts from their utility and attempts used by utility impostors. Here are some tips to help:

• Well in advance of the disconnection date, FirstEnergy utility customers who are behind on their accounts will be sent written notice of their account status with instructions on how to avoid disconnection of service. 
• Utility impostors often require that you use unusual payment methods like digital payment apps, cryptocurrencies or money transfers. Only send payments to your FirstEnergy operating company using our established payment methods. 
• FirstEnergy field collectors working in New Jersey, Maryland and Ohio may offer customers with past-due accounts the opportunity to pay their bill in person before disconnecting service. All employees carry company-issued photo identification.
• Some scammers go door-to-door posing as representatives of FirstEnergy and offer "special deals" to customers who provide their personal information. FirstEnergy employees and authorized contractors do not solicit door-to-door and will never ask you to provide a copy of your electric bill.
• Scammers often use Caller ID spoofing software to misrepresent the source of a phone call to further mislead and confuse their targets. When in doubt, hang up and dial the phone number on your FirstEnergy bill. Never dial the phone number provided by the scammer or the Caller ID.
• Bad actors frequently pretend to offer bill assistance through programs that do not exist in order to steal sensitive customer information. Customers in need of assistance should view our list of authorized bill assistance programs.
• Utility imposters have spoofed employment listings on legitimate job-search websites to trick jobseekers into providing personal data. You can verify the authenticity of the posting by visiting www.firstenergycorp.com/careers or contacting FirstEnergy's Human Resources department at FirstEnergyHR@firstenergycorp.com.
• Cyber criminals may also try to steal your private information using malware delivered through texts and emails. Avoid clicking on any links or downloading attachments from suspicious emails or texts.

Please share this information with friends and family to continue raising awareness of these crimes. You can also follow FirstEnergy electric companies on Facebook and X as well as visit Utilities United Against Scams' website for regular scam safety tips.

FirstEnergy is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its electric distribution companies form one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, serving more than six million customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York. The company's transmission subsidiaries operate more than 24,000 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. Follow FirstEnergy online at www.firstenergycorp.com and on X @FirstEnergyCorp.

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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.