Dear Residents:
We have received reports that residents are receiving calls from imposters who posing as United Illuminating employees. These imposters are issuing fake threats of service disconnection to scam customers into providing personal banking information or providing hard-to-trace prepaid debit or gift cards.
Caller identification devices show that the call is coming from Oronoque Village which is absolutely untrue. These imposters use “spoofing” technology to make it seem like the call is coming from a legitimate source.
Typically, a scammer posing as a UI representative calls a customer and claims a crew is on the way to disconnect service unless an immediate payment is made, usually via a credit card or hard-to-trace prepaid debit or gift cards.
United Illuminating and the Stratford Police Department have been notified about this activity.
How To Avoid Utility Scams
- Hang up and call the utility company yourself. Call the company using the number on your bill or the utility company’s website even if the person who contacted you left a call-back number. Often times, those call-back numbers are fake. If the message came by text, don’t respond and do the same. If your bill says you owe anything, pay it as you normally would, not as the caller says.
- Never wire money or pay with a reloadable card, gift card, or cryptocurrency to anyone who demands it. Only scammers will require one of those kinds of payment. Your utility company won’t ask you to pay that way.
How Customers Can Protect Themselves
Simple steps customers can take to protect themselves include:
- Check account status: Creating an online profile at the company’s website is a quick way to check account status. Customers can also call the company’s Customer Care Center at the number found on the bill or the company’s website. (Do not use callback numbers provided by unsolicited callers). Representatives can verify account status and work with customers to resolve any issues.
- Protect personal information: Customers should never share personal or financial information, including outstanding balances, without first verifying whom they’re speaking with.
- Report it: Customers should report the scam to the utility, local law enforcement, and the Federal Trade Commission (http://www.ftc.gov/). This will help authorities shut down scams and prosecute the scammers.Thank you.
Mark Rhatigan
Executive Director