Don’t let scammers steal your holiday cheer (or hard-earned paycheck). In honor of today being Utility Scam Awareness Day, ComEd reminds customers to be on the lookout for imposters using energy-related scams.
ComEd regularly receives reports of scammers trying to get customers to turn over their money and personal information. Although scams occur throughout the year, the company sees an increase in reports during the holiday season.
Scammers are known to show up at homes or small businesses, or call using a number that appears to be a ComEd phone number. They may threaten to turn off a customer’s service and ask them to make a direct payment with a prepaid cash card. Sometimes they ask victims to call them back at a different phone number and provide personal information. Here are some tips to help identify scams:
ComEd will never come to a customer’s home or business to:
- Demand a payment.
- Ask for immediate payment with a prepaid cash card.
- Ask for your ComEd account number or other personal information, such as a driver’s license number.
ComEd will never call a customer to:
- Ask for their account number.
- Ask for personal information such as their Social Security number or bank information.
- Ask them to make a direct payment with a prepaid cash card.
To identify an actual ComEd employee, remember:
- All ComEd field employees wear a uniform with the ComEd logo, including shirt and safety vest.
- ComEd employees visibly display a company ID badge with the ComEd logo and employee’s name.
- Look for a white ComEd car or truck with the ComEd logo.
A ComEd worker may knock on a customer’s door if they are unable to access equipment, such as the meter or pedestal transformer. Unsure whether a visitor is a ComEd employee? Call 1-800-EDISON-1 (1-800-334-7661) before engaging them.
Anyone who believes they have been a target or victim of a phone scam should contact the Illinois Attorney General’s office at 1-800-386-5438 (TTY 1-800-964-3013) or visit the Illinois Attorney General’s web site at IllinoisAttorneyGeneral.gov and click on the link “Protecting Consumers.”
To learn more, visit ComEd.com/ScamAlert, and watch the video below.
