Cherry Hill Now:
Scam Alert

February 21, 2019

PSE&G issued a warning to New Jersey residents of scams that have cost state residents more than $25 million last year. The utility released a news statement to remind “customers to stay alert to scammers, particularly those posing as utility workers or demanding immediate payment for utility bills.”

“Several law enforcement agencies in the…[region] have reported a rise in scam activity recently and customers need to remain vigilant,” the news statement detailed. “According to the Federal Trade Commission, the top scams in New Jersey are impostor scams and debt collection scams. Last year, more than 20,000 people in our state reported scams costing over $25 million. In 2018, more than 300 scams were reported to PSE&G – a 25 percent increase over 2017.”

“PSE&G encourages business customers, in particular, to be cautious about anyone who demands immediate payment and residential customers to ask for identification before allowing utility workers inside a home,” the statement continued. “Anyone who is suspicious should call customer service, 1-800-436-7734, to confirm identity before allowing entry. PSE&G employees have proper identification and usually arrive in PSE&G vehicles.”

According to the utility, there are several signs of potential scam activity:

“Threat to disconnect: Scammers may aggressively tell the customer his or her utility bill is past due and service will be disconnected if a payment is not made – usually within less than an hour.

Request for immediate payment: Scammers may instruct the customer to purchase a prepaid card, a gift card or even Bitcoins and then to call them back supposedly to make a bill payment to his or her utility company.

Request for card information: When the customer calls back, the caller asks the customer for the prepaid card’s number or gift-card PIN, which grants the scammer instant access to the card’s funds, and the victim’s money is gone.”

The statement from PSE&G listed several ways that customers could protect themselves from scammers:

“Customers should never purchase a prepaid card, gift card or use Bitcoins to avoid service disconnection or shutoff. Before terminating service, PSE&G alerts customers in a number of ways: messages on their bill, letters and phone calls. PSE&G would never demand a specific type of payment nor threaten immediate service termination. While there are many ways to pay a bill, the utility only accepts credit card and prepaid card payments through Western Union Speedpay, which charges a $3.95 processing fee.

If someone threatens immediate disconnection or shutoff of service with no advance notice from PSE&G, customers should hang up the phone or delete the text or email. Customers with delinquent accounts receive an advance disconnection notification, typically by mail and included with their regular monthly bill. PSE&G never sends a single notification one hour or less before disconnection.

If customers suspect someone is trying to scam them, they should hang up, delete the text or email, or shut the door. They should then call their utility company at the number on their monthly bill or the company’s website, not the phone number the scammer provides. If customers ever feel that they are in physical danger, they should call 911. Report all scam attempts by calling your utility and local police department, and file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission [by clicking here.]”

Additional information is available about scams by clicking here and by clicking here.