Utility warns: Scams demanding payment surge in NW

Pacific Power warned its customers and the public Tuesday of a phone scam targeting utility customers in the Northwest where criminals posing as utility customer service agents are trying to get money and steal personal information.

The fraud is occurring nationwide, but recent days have seen an upsurge in the Northwest, officials said. The thieves sometimes use sophisticated deceptive tactics that make it appear to Caller ID systems that the scam call is coming from the utility when it is not.

If customers receive such a call, they are urged to hang up and instead call 1-888-221-7070 to verify the call’s origins.

Pacific Power call center agents can be reached any time day or night, toll free at 1-888-221-7070 . That is the only number to call for any customer service you need or if you suspect a call may not actually be from Pacific Power.

“So far, this has affected a relatively small number of customers, but any customer being taken advantage of in this way is one too many,” said Valerie Smith, director of customer service. “We encourage any customer who has been contacted in this manner to report the contact to local law enforcement.”

In order to help customers recognize the fraudulent calls, in general, the scam goes like this:
Scammers call residential or business customers demanding payment for overdue bills. Sometimes, the caller tells the intended victim that they owe a specific amount of money. The thief then typically advises the customer to make a payment by going to a local store to purchase a pre-paid card and provide the pre-paid card’s code to the phony “agent.”
Pacific Power wants customers to be aware that this is a scam and not a legitimate request. Pacific Power does not use these methods. If such a call is received, hang up and call 1-888-221-7070 to inquire about the call with Pacific Power.

When Pacific Power contacts a customer, the representative will always already have the customer’s account number. Even then, if you are contacted by phone and have any concerns about the validity of the call, it is always appropriate to let the caller know you prefer to call them back at the utility’s published customer service number– 1-888-221-7070 .
Pacific Power cautions that customers should never provide unsolicited callers or visitors with credit card numbers or any other information that may compromise their financial security.

Anyone receiving such calls or other contact regarding their utility account or bill is encouraged to pay close attention to any information – such as the phone number they are asked to call, a number that appears on caller ID, an address where they’re told to send money- and then call 1-888-221-7070 to report the incident to local police and Pacific Power.