It's Utility Scam Awareness Day and FirstEnergy Urges Customers to Stay On Guard Through the Winter Months
FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) is raising awareness about utility scams on Utility Scam Awareness Day, November 20, 2024. The company has received over 3,400 scam reports in 2024, with many more going unreported. Scammers typically increase their activity during winter months, exploiting customers' fears of service disconnection.
The company provides several tips to avoid scams, including: being wary of unusual payment methods like cryptocurrencies, verifying FirstEnergy employee identification, avoiding door-to-door solicitors, and being cautious of spoofed caller IDs. FirstEnergy emphasizes that legitimate disconnection notices are sent in writing with clear instructions, and customers should only use established payment methods.
FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) sta sensibilizzando riguardo alle truffe nel settore energetico in occasione della Giornata di Consapevolezza sulle Truffe Energetiche, che si terrà il 20 novembre 2024. L'azienda ha ricevuto oltre 3.400 segnalazioni di truffe nel 2024, con molte altre che non sono state riportate. I truffatori tendono ad aumentare la loro attività durante i mesi invernali, sfruttando le paure dei clienti riguardo alla disconnessione del servizio.
L'azienda fornisce diversi consigli per evitare le truffe, tra cui: prestare attenzione a metodi di pagamento insoliti come le criptovalute, verificare l'identificazione degli impiegati di FirstEnergy, evitare i venditori porta a porta e fare attenzione ai numeri di telefono falsificati. FirstEnergy sottolinea che le notifiche di disconnessione legittime vengono inviate per iscritto con istruzioni chiare e che i clienti dovrebbero utilizzare solo metodi di pagamento consolidati.
FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) está creando conciencia sobre las estafas de servicios públicos en el Día de Conciencia sobre Estafas de Servicios Públicos, el 20 de noviembre de 2024. La compañía ha recibido más de 3,400 informes de estafas en 2024, con muchas más que no se han reportado. Los estafadores suelen aumentar su actividad durante los meses de invierno, aprovechando los temores de los clientes sobre la desconexión del servicio.
La empresa ofrece varios consejos para evitar estafas, que incluyen: desconfiar de métodos de pago inusuales como las criptomonedas, verificar la identificación de los empleados de FirstEnergy, evitar a los vendedores puerta a puerta y tener cuidado con los identificadores de llamadas falsificados. FirstEnergy enfatiza que los avisos de desconexión legítimos se envían por escrito con instrucciones claras, y los clientes solo deben utilizar métodos de pago establecidos.
퍼스트에너지 Corp. (NYSE: FE)는 2024년 11월 20일 유틸리티 사기 인식의 날을 맞아 유틸리티 사기에 대한 인식을 높이고 있습니다. 회사는 2024년에 3,400건 이상의 사기 신고를 접수했으며, 더 많은 신고가 이루어지지 않았습니다. 사기범들은 일반적으로 겨울철 활동을 증가시키며 고객의 서비스 연결 중단에 대한 두려움을 악용합니다.
회사는 암호화폐와 같은 비정상적인 결제 방식에 주의하고, 퍼스트에너지 직원의 신분증을 확인하며, 방문 판매원을 피하고, 스푸핑된 전화번호에 주의할 것을 포함하여 사기를 피하는 여러 가지 팁을 제공합니다. 퍼스트에너지는 합법적인 서비스 연결 중단 통지는 명확한 지침과 함께 서면으로 발송되며, 고객은 반드시 확립된 결제 수단을 사용해야 한다고 강조합니다.
FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) sensibilise le public sur les escroqueries dans le secteur de l'énergie à l'occasion de la Journée de sensibilisation aux escroqueries énergétiques, qui aura lieu le 20 novembre 2024. L'entreprise a reçu plus de 3 400 rapports d'escroqueries en 2024, avec bien d'autres qui ne sont pas signalées. Les escrocs augmentent généralement leur activité pendant les mois d'hiver, exploitant les craintes des clients concernant la coupure de service.
La société fournit plusieurs conseils pour éviter les escroqueries, notamment : se méfier des méthodes de paiement inhabituelles comme les cryptomonnaies, vérifier l'identification des employés de FirstEnergy, éviter les démarcheurs à domicile et être prudent avec les numéros de téléphone falsifiés. FirstEnergy souligne que les avis de coupure de service légitimes sont envoyés par écrit avec des instructions claires, et que les clients ne devraient utiliser que des méthodes de paiement établies.
FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) sensibilisiert über Betrugsfälle im Versorgungsbereich anlässlich des Utility Scam Awareness Day am 20. November 2024. Das Unternehmen hat im Jahr 2024 über 3.400 Betrugsberichte erhalten, wobei viele weitere ungemeldet bleiben. Betrüger neigen dazu, ihre Aktivitäten während der Wintermonate zu steigern und nutzen die Ängste der Kunden vor einer Dienstunterbrechung aus.
Das Unternehmen gibt mehrere Tipps zur Vermeidung von Betrug, darunter: misstrauisch gegenüber ungewöhnlichen Zahlungsmethoden wie Kryptowährungen sein, die Identifizierung von Mitarbeitern von FirstEnergy prüfen, Haustürverkäufer meiden und vorsichtig mit gefälschten Anrufer-IDs umgehen. FirstEnergy betont, dass legitime Benachrichtigungen über Dienstunterbrechungen schriftlich mit klaren Anweisungen versendet werden und dass Kunden nur etablierte Zahlungsmethoden nutzen sollten.
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Scammers often prey on the fears of vulnerable customers to steal their personal information and trick them into paying "unpaid bills" to avoid service disconnection. To date in 2024, FirstEnergy has received more than 3,400 reports of scams from customers. The actual number of scam attempts is even higher since many go unreported to the company or law enforcement officials.
Michelle Henry, Senior Vice President of Customer Experience at FirstEnergy: "Education is key when it comes to helping our customers avoid common utility scams. While we take significant measures to ensure the safety and security of our customer account information, we urge you to be on guard against impostors who claim to be associated with our company."
Read about known utility scams and how to avoid them on our website.
Utility Scam Awareness Day is organized by Utilities United Against Scams, a group of more than 150 electric companies and related organizations working together to educate customers on how they can prevent becoming victims of utility impostors.
Scammers work year-round, but they tend to be more active during colder months because they know customers rely on electricity to stay safe and warm and are more likely to comply due to fear of disconnection.
Stop Utility Impostors in Their Tracks
Scammers continue to implement sophisticated tactics to impersonate utility companies. It is important that customers can distinguish between legitimate contacts from their utility and attempts used by utility impostors. Here are some tips to help:
- Well in advance of the disconnection date, FirstEnergy utility customers who are behind on their accounts will be sent written notice of their account status with instructions on how to avoid disconnection of service.
- Utility impostors often require that you use unusual payment methods like digital payment apps, cryptocurrencies or money transfers. Only send payments to your FirstEnergy operating company using our established payment methods.
- FirstEnergy field collectors working in
New Jersey ,Maryland andOhio may offer customers with past-due accounts the opportunity to pay their bill in person before disconnecting service. All employees carry company-issued photo identification. - Some scammers go door-to-door posing as representatives of FirstEnergy and offer "special deals" to customers who provide their personal information. FirstEnergy employees and authorized contractors do not solicit door-to-door and will never ask you to provide a copy of your electric bill.
- Scammers often use Caller ID spoofing software to misrepresent the source of a phone call to further mislead and confuse their targets. When in doubt, hang up and dial the phone number on your FirstEnergy bill. Never dial the phone number provided by the scammer or the Caller ID.
- Bad actors frequently pretend to offer bill assistance through programs that do not exist in order to steal sensitive customer information. Customers in need of assistance should view our list of authorized bill assistance programs.
- Utility imposters have spoofed employment listings on legitimate job-search websites to trick jobseekers into providing personal data. You can verify the authenticity of the posting by visiting www.firstenergycorp.com/careers or contacting FirstEnergy's Human Resources department at FirstEnergyHR@firstenergycorp.com.
- Cyber criminals may also try to steal your private information using malware delivered through texts and emails. Avoid clicking on any links or downloading attachments from suspicious emails or texts.
Please share this information with friends and family to continue raising awareness of these crimes. You can also follow FirstEnergy electric companies on Facebook and X as well as visit Utilities United Against Scams' website for regular scam safety tips.
FirstEnergy is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its electric distribution companies form one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, serving more than six million customers in
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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.
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