WMECo scam alert

Western Massachusetts Electric Company (WMECo) customers should be aware of a phone scam that involves the caller ordering the customer to purchase a pre-paid debit card.

Scammers claiming to be WMECo employees have been calling up customers telling them their power will be disconnected unless they purchase a Green Dot prepaid debit card and follow specific instructions to process payment. The caller tells the customer they must make a payment within one to four hours using a Green Dot card, which can be purchased at local pharmacies and retail stores.

According to a WMECo news release, there have been half a dozen incidents in one day, and one WMECo customer lost $1,000 in the scam.

The incidents are not confined to western Massachusetts. According to WMECo spokesman Al Lara, this type of scam has been going on across the country for a number of years and affecting dozens of utilities. WMECo was informed of this operation by customers calling to verify the calls they received were real.

It is not WMECo policy to call up customers directly threatening disconnection unless they make a payment. The company will instead send customers written notices if they are scheduled for disconnection due to nonpayment.

“If [customers] are scheduled for disconnection due to nonpayment, they’ll receive a written notice first, and that notice will include all the actions they can take to maintain service,” said Mr. Lara. “We under no circumstances require customers to purchase any type of a prepaid card to pay their bill.”

According to Mr. Lara, if there is any question whether the caller represents WMECo or not, the customer should ask the caller to verify basic account information such as name, address and unpaid balance. They should also call 1-877-659-6326 (1-877-OK-WMECO) to report any suspicious caller.

“If they get any calls of that nature or a similar call they should contact us immediately,” Mr. Lara said.

Posted by Dana Drugmand on August 1, 2013. Filed under Community News,News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry