By PSC Chair Charlotte Lane
Utility scams and senior citizens are a lethal combination. Keep this in mind: if you get a demanding call, it’s a scam.
When somebody calls to tell you your electricity, gas, water or any utility is going to be cut off immediately if you don’t pay up, hang up. Don’t take steps to make payment. Don’t even discuss it with them. But do take steps to report what’s happened.
Real utilities don’t operate this way. But scammers do. These are people who prey on you through fear and intimidation to illegally obtain your money.
The Public Service Commission hears horror stories about scammers all the time. That’s why we try to bring awareness to Utility Scam Awareness Day every November.
First of all, let me say this again, don’t pay. The scam callers are experts. They will go into great detail about how you can wire money or send it through some other method. Don’t be intimidated and don’t engage. It will be next to impossible to get your money back if you fall for a scam and send money.
Hang up immediately and call your utility using the legitimate number that is on your bill or on the utility’s website. The scammer likely left you a false call-back number that will just take you back to the scammer, so be sure to get the correct number from your utility bill. Don’t click on any links the scammer sends, either. Those are just as bogus as their phone numbers.
Do tell your utility company what happened. They need to know so they can protect other customers. Also report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC is very interested in hearing about your experience so it can help combat this plague.
ABC News reported that people over the age of 65 lost almost $1 billion because of scams in 2020. The FBI said most of the 23,000 victims were seniors. The highest number of fraud cases occurred in California, Florida and Texas. And, as West Virginia ranks third nationwide in the number of senior citizens who live here, we must be particularly vigilant in the Mountain State.
Let us all work together to help stamp out this plague that victimizes the most vulnerable of our citizens. Join with me in helping protect our seniors, and everyone else, from this unconscionable assault.