Surprise call from your utility company? It may be a scammer, warns AARP

With temperatures plummeting in many areas, keeping the heat on is critical — a fact that fraud criminals try to take advantage of, according to AARP’s fraud unit.

Every winter, utility scams spike as scammers claiming to be from the utility company say you haven’t been paying your bill and they threaten to cut off service if you don’t make an immediate payment.

The goal of these crooks is to create a sense of panic – when we react first with emotion, it’s hard to access logical thinking, and the criminals are adept with using this tactic. Their hope is that we stay in that state of panic long enough to complete a payment.

If you get a surprise call from the “utility company” threatening to shut off your service, hang up the phone. Contact your provider using the customer service number on a recent bill (or log into their website or app if that’s an option). Chances are high you will find out your payments are up to date.

Be a fraud fighter! If you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam.

Report scams to local law enforcement. For help from AARP, call 1-877-908-3360 or visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at http://www.aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork