Tomorrow is Utility Scam Awareness Day, and Cleco is reminding customers to be aware of fraudulent phone calls, text messages, emails and other tactics used by scammers to obtain your personal and financial information.
Cleco is a member of Utilities United Against Scams (UUAS), a consortium of more than 150 U.S. and Canadian utilities who work together to raise awareness of common scams and new scams being used by scammers.
UUAS has successfully helped to take nearly 13,000 toll-free numbers used by scammers against utility customers out of operation.
“Scammers often try to take advantage of our customers by demanding immediate payments via phone, text messages or email,” said Kristi Moore, director of customer operations. “We can all be a target for these types of scams especially in a digital society. These tips will make sure our customers know what to look for, so they can avoid being scammed.”
“Scammer tactics are becoming increasingly sophisticated, but utility impostor scams are oftentimes as simple as a scammer posing as a customer’s local utility, calling and threatening to shut off their service unless they provide payment,” said Monica Martinez, executive director of UUAS. “Customers shouldn’t be afraid to end a call that they suspect is a scam. You can always end the call and dial the number on your utility bill or on the utility website to confirm.
“Most utilities will send overdue notices in the mail rather than call, and they always provide…
