Dominion Energy urging customer to stay vigilant for utility scams

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - This week is Utility Scam Awareness Week, and Dominion Energy is reminding customers how to stay safe and what the telltale signs of utility scams are.

Utility customers experience a surge in scam phone calls, especially around the holidays, according to Dominion Energy.

“An immediate red flag is when someone calls you claiming to be a utility representative and threatens to disconnect your service if you don’t make an immediate payment over the phone,” Dominion Energy Vice President of Customer Experience Utibe Bassey said. “The best way to protect yourself is to know what a scam sounds like and what to do if you’re targeted.”

Dominion is offering the following tips; so customers know what to do if they suspect a scammer has contacted them.

Slow down - Utility scammers pressure customers to act quickly by instilling fear and a sense of urgency.
Stop - Dominion Energy never demands immediate payment and does not accept payment using prepaid or gift cards.
Hang Up - Some scammers may appear on your caller ID as though they are calling from Dominion Energy. When in doubt, do not provide any personal information and hang up.
Verify - Scammers do not typically know the customer’s account balance. Fact check the scammer’s claims by signing into the Dominion Energy app, online at dominionenergy.com, or calling the number located on an energy bill.

To learn more about the warning signs of scam activity, visit dominionenergy.com/scams.

Utility Scam Awareness Week goes from Nov. 15 to 20.