From Xcel Energy:
AMARILLO, Texas – Xcel Energy today warned customers of increased
incidences of scams targeting utility customers. The scams generally involve
attempts to illegally obtain payments for fictitious utility bills.
Individuals impersonating Xcel Energy
representatives or collection agency personnel are utilizing a variety of
techniques to gain access to customers' funds, usually by indicating a customer
has an outstanding debt and is about to immediately lose service.
Most of the recent incidents have occurred in Xcel Energy service areas
outside of Texas and New Mexico, but area residents have been
targeted in the past. The only legitimate door-to-door or phone solicitation at
the present time involves contractors working on behalf of Xcel Energy to
provide energy efficiency services. But only approved vendors are able to offer
these services to Xcel Energy customers, and the list of these vendors may be
found at www.xcelefficiency.com.
Customers may check that list or contact customer information at 1-800-895-4999
for verification.
In many of the fraudulent cases, an impersonator
directs the customer to go to a local retailer and purchase a pre-paid cash
card. The impersonator then persuades the customer to provide the card number
over the phone.
In some cases, impersonators provide a fake employee
name and/or a fake ID number, and offer to come to the customer's residence to
pick up the payment. Impersonators also appear to have "spoofed" an Xcel Energy
telephone number, thus making it look like the call is from the company.
There have been variations to obtaining the bogus
payments, including requests over the phone for payment by credit card or
personal check.
Impersonators also have used different stories,
such as telling a customer he or she has overpaid a bill, so that the company
needs personal bank account or credit card information to be given over the
telephone to refund the money.
Impersonators have shown up at customer homes and told
customers that their meter is broken and immediate payment is needed for
repairs. Customers are told that the utility later will refund the money.
The reports of billing scams in Xcel Energy service territory are
consistent with what other utilities are reporting across the country. Xcel
Energy investigates all reported impersonations, and it recommends customers also
contact their local law enforcement agencies.
Xcel Energy always advises that customers should only
use authorized methods and proven banking practices to pay their bills. Credit
card numbers and any personal information should not be provided to suspicious
callers.
If
a customer has given credit card information over the phone to
someone posing as an Xcel Energy employee, Xcel Energy recommends that the
customer call his or her credit card company and follow the company's
recommendations.
Customers should report
incidents to Xcel Energy at 1-800-895-4999. Xcel Energy also provides information
on its website on How
to identify an Xcel Energy worker, identifying
e-mail or phone scams, payment
options and payment
assistance.
Xcel
Energy is a major U.S.
electricity and natural gas company, with operations in eight Western and
Midwestern states. Xcel Energy provides a comprehensive portfolio of
energy-related products and services to 3.4 million electricity customers and
1.9 million natural gas customers through its regulated operating companies.
Company headquarters are located in Minneapolis.
More information is available at www.xcelenergy.com.
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