RICHMOND, Va. (WAVY) – Dominion Energy is spreading the word on how their customers can be better protected.
A news release from Dominion Energy didn’t specify if they have seen an uptick in utility scams, but the company is encouraging customers to be on alert and provided some tips on how to do that.
“As technology advances, utility scams are becoming more sophisticated and harder to detect,” said Utibe Bassey, Dominion Energy’s Vice President of Customer Experience. “We encourage our customers to be on alert, recognize the signs of scams and take action to protect yourself.”
Here are some telltale warning signs to help you avoid becoming a scam victim:
- Dominion Energy does not call and threaten service disconnection if a customer does not make a payment immediately.
- Dominion Energy never demands payment with a credit or debit card by phone, or asks a customer to wire a transfer, send money orders or buy a gift card to pay a utility bill.
- Not all scammers are aggressive and threatening. Some scammers try to earn a customer’s trust by being personable and sympathetic.
Here are some steps you can take to protect yourself:
- Hang up. Do not provide account, payment or any other personal information.
- Fact check. Scammers don’t typically know a customer’s account balance. You can verify your account balance and payment due date online or on the Dominion Energy app.
- Set up alerts. You can set alerts with your bank and your credit cards so if suspicious purchases are made, you are immediately notified. You can enable notifications with your mobile device for added convenience.
- Use complex passwords or phrases online. At least 7 characters in length, both upper and lowercase letters, include numbers and special characters. Don’t use personal information like names of family etc. Use passwords that are NOT a word in any language, slang, dialect, jargon etc. Don’t use the same passwords for different sites.
For more scam prevention tips, visit dominionenergy.com/our-stories/scammers-and-personal-safety.