RICHMOND, Va.,
Nov. 24, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The
busy holiday season is here and Dominion Virginia Power wants
customers to guard against scammers who are likely working overtime
to trick them into making payment over the phone to avoid
disconnection of electric service. The company urges customers to
remember that Dominion does not require payment over the phone and
never demands immediate payment of cash, PayPal, 'MoneyPak/Green
Dot' or any prepaid debit card to avoid disconnection.
"Scammers rely on finding people who are distracted and have
their guard down," said Dan Jenkins,
director-Corporate Security, Safety and Health. "We suggest that
our customers be alert, ask questions, and verify what they are
being told about their account. We continue to work with local law
enforcement to identify and monitor these scams and alert our
customers to keep them safe."
Attorney General Mark Herring,
whose Consumer Protection Section investigates scams and educates
consumers about ongoing scams, reminded Virginians, "The holidays
can be an especially busy time. Scammers know that we generally are
more vulnerable when our focus is on gift-giving, travel,
celebrations, and time with family and friends. Be aware, ask
questions, and protect yourself from falling victim to these
scams."
Dominion Virginia Power created a
video to illustrate what a customer should do if they are targeted
by a scammer: https://youtu.be/axiuSDyGu5c.
Being aware is the first step to protecting oneself from
becoming a victim. Remember:
- Dominion Virginia Power will
never require payment over the phone or require payment on a
pre-paid debit card.
- Dominion does not direct customers to make payment at any of
their offices; designated payment centers can be found online at
https://www.dom.com/residential/dominion-virginia-power/customer-service/payment-options.
- If customers wish to pay their bill by phone, they are directed
to BillMatrix at 1-800-573-1147. Please note: customers will
never be contacted by BillMatrix requiring payment.)
- If a customer is behind on a monthly bill, they should contact
Dominion to set up a mutually agreed upon payment plan. Dominion
provides a customer with notifications on their bill before
power is disconnected.
- If a customer is suspicious of a caller, they are encouraged to
collect information from the scammer including the caller's name,
any phone numbers or other details before hanging up and reporting
to local law enforcement.
- Customers should always call Dominion at 1-866-DOM-HELP to
verify that the company is attempting to reach them before
releasing any personal information.
For helpful tips about how to avoid scams, please visit
www.dom.com/scams.
Dominion Virginia Power is a
subsidiary of Dominion (NYSE: D), one of the nation's largest
producers and transporters of energy, with a portfolio of
approximately 20,400 megawatts of generation and 6,455 miles of
electric transmission lines. Dominion operates one of the
nation's largest natural gas storage systems with 928 billion cubic
feet of storage capacity and serves utility and retail energy
customers in 13 states. For more information about Dominion, visit
the company's website at www.dom.com/.
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SOURCE Dominion Virginia Power