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Xcel Energy Scam Warning
October 29, 2014Xcel Energy repeats warnings about scams
AMARILLO, Texas – Reports of scams against Xcel Energy customers in Texas and New Mexico picked up again in August and September after falling in the early part of the summer.
After a high of 75 scam reports in May, reported scams fell to 32 in June and 29 in July. But in August, reported scam attempts rose to 47, and then to 49 in September.
The primary way scammers are targeting Xcel Energy customers is by impersonating Xcel Energy customer agents and asking customers to pay over the phone or risk imminent disconnection. The company again is reminding customers to hang up on these callers and immediately contact Xcel Energy to verify account status.
“The scammers are employing sophisticated tactics to convince our customers to give them money, but the solution remains very simple – hang up,” said David Hudson, president and CEO of Southwestern Public Service Company, an Xcel Energy company. “This is a serious threat, but customers can avoid being victimized by contacting Xcel Energy directly to verify their account status and making payments through appropriate channels.”
Utility companies across the nation continue to fight scammers, and all four of Xcel Energy’s operating companies have seen increased scam activity. In the first nine months of 2013, Xcel Energy customers in the eight states the company serves reported 687 scam attempts. That number rose to more than 4,590 during the first nine months of this year – a 700 percent increase.
Scammers have tried various ways to trick customers into providing payment, usually over the phone. They have been known to:
- Tell intended victims their account is past due and threaten to turn off their power immediately if they do not make a payment right away.
- Require victims to pay using a pre-paid debit card, such as a Green Dot card.
- Manipulate caller ID to display a fake number, which may actually be Xcel Energy’s number. This is called “spoofing.”
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Scammers have targeted all classes of customers, but particularly small businesses such as restaurants. In most cases, a scammer calls during busy hours of operation and threatens to disconnect the customer’s power unless they make a payment over the phone.
If a customer is behind on their bill, Xcel Energy sends a written notice first before service disconnection. Customers who have not received a disconnect notice in the mail should not engage anyone calling them on the phone offering to take payment. Instead, customers should hang up and contact Xcel Energy to verify account status and report the attempted scam.
Residential customers should call 1-800-895-4999, and business customers should call 1-800-481-4700.
Xcel Energy recently updated scam prevention information. Among the tips offered are:
- Never give out personal information, credit card numbers or wire money as a result of an unexpected or unsolicited call if you cannot validate the caller’s authenticity.
- Xcel Energy provides many options for payment; be suspicious if the caller is insisting on the use of a pre-paid debit card.
- Be aware that Xcel Energy will contact customers first by U.S. mail about past due bills – not over the phone. You will be sent a disconnection notice in writing before your power is actually turned off.
Xcel Energy (NYSE: XEL) is a major U.S. electricity and natural gas company with regulated operations in eight Western and Midwestern states. Xcel Energy provides a comprehensive portfolio of energy-related products and services to 3.5 million electricity customers and 1.9 million natural gas customers through its regulated operating companies. Company headquarters are located in Minneapolis. More information is available at www.xcelenergy.com.
