RICHMOND, Va., Nov. 14,
2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Last year, scammers contacted
nearly 2,800 Dominion Virginia Power customers, demanding
fraudulent payments totaling more than $1.2
million. Hundreds of customers fell victim, paying
nearly $200,000 in response to
threats of immediate disconnection of electric service.
"While we are working in concert with law enforcement to
identify, track and stop these scams, it's important for customers
to recognize the red flags," said Marc
Gaudette, director-Corporate Security, Safety & Health.
"Unfortunately, the scammers frequently target the elderly,
non-English-speaking communities and businesses during their busy
times and use caller ID spoofing software so a customer thinks
Dominion is calling."
"There are two clear signs that there's a scammer on the other
end of that phone call that you can easily spot," said Becky Merritt, vice president, Customer Service.
"First, we would never threaten a customer, even if their account
is past due. Second, we would never insist on one specific,
immediate form of payment—there are a number of options available
to customers, including in-person at a verified payment location,
secure payment through their online account, or our third-party
payment processing vendor."
For a list of authorized payment locations, click here.
Utility customers across the country are being targeted. Watch a
video that describes these scams and how customers can recognize
them here.
Customers are reminded to do the following:
- Ask questions and verify what you are hearing by checking your
online account or hanging up and then calling us at 866-DOM-HELP.
If an account is overdue, we provide multiple communications in
writing and offers a payment plan before disconnection occurs.
- Remember that we do not require payment over the phone and
never demand immediate payment of cash, PayPal, any prepaid debit
card such as 'MoneyPak/Green Dot', or any gift card to avoid
disconnection. Payment by phone is available through BillMatrix at
1-800-573-1147. (Note: customers will never be contacted
directly by BillMatrix requiring payment.)
- 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.
For other tips about how to avoid scams, please visit
www.dom.com/scams.
Dominion is one of the nation's largest producers and
transporters of energy, with a portfolio of approximately 25,700
megawatts of generation, 12,200 miles of natural gas transmission,
gathering and storage pipeline, and 6,500 miles of electric
transmission lines. Dominion operates one of the nation's
largest natural gas storage systems with 933 billion cubic feet of
storage capacity and serves more than 5 million utility and retail
energy customers in 14 states. For more information about Dominion,
visit the company's website at www.dom.com.
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SOURCE Dominion