COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina utilities have joined with the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs (SCDCA) and the Office of Regulatory Staff (ORS) for Utility Scam Awareness Day (November 16, 2022) to warn consumers about utility imposter scams as consumers turn on their heat for the winter.
Utility imposter scams can happen in person or over the phone and come in a lot of shapes and sizes. Consumers have reported seeing scammers dressed like a representative of a utility company, going door-to-door and demanding payment in prepaid cards or else power would be shut off. The scammer may call and claim the consumer needs a new meter or they are late on their payments. Whatever form the scam takes, the red flags are the same. The top red flags of a utility imposter scam are:
- Asking for payment in prepaid debit, gift card, money transfer, payment app or cryptocurrency. No real utility company will ever ask a consumer to pay with anything other than direct forms of payment like a bank account or credit card. If someone claiming to be a utility says you must pay in an uncommon form of payment, it’s a scam. Every time. No matter what they say.
- Use scare tactics or threaten you into paying ASAP. Often a scammer will warn the consumer they are late with payment and if they don’t…
