To the editor:
Minnesotans should be aware that there are reports of a growing telephone scam affecting people across the country.
Here’s some information that will help you know what to look for and how to protect yourself and your family.
Individuals making the fraudulent calls claim to work for a utility company then use a variety of techniques to defraud customers, such as threatening to disconnect electric service to your home or business if you don’t make a payment immediately.
The scam artist instructs people to send money via prepaid card or an online payment service, such as PayPal or GreenDot, before their power is shut off. The scammer’s caller-ID is falsified so it appears to originate from the utility company, a practice known as “spoofing.” Electric customers have been targeted in several States, including Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and New Mexico.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) advises consumers that receive suspicious calls to call their utility directly to verify the request for payment. You should also report suspicious calls to our state’s Public Utility Commission (toll free at 1-800-657-3782, or by e-mail at consumer.puc@state.mn.us).
As always, feel free to contact my office with any questions or feedback. You can reach me by phone at (651) 296-4193, by email at rep.jeanne.poppe@house.mn, or by postal mail at
Sincerely,
Jeanne Poppe
State Representative, District 27B
Chair, Agriculture Policy Committee