Weeklong Campaign to Raise Awareness about Common Scams Against Utility Customers
Los Angeles (November 14, 2018) –LADWP is joining efforts with fellow members of a utility consortium, Utilities United Against Scams (UUAS), during its Third Annual Utility Scam Awareness Day, to continue its efforts to educate customers on how they can guard against falling victim to impostor utility scams.
If someone appears, calls, texts, or emails representing themselves as a Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) employee, demanding that you pay your bill immediately to avoid disconnection, tell them you would like to see their LADWP-issued identification badge if in person, and/or verify their identity by calling 1-800-DIAL-DWP (1-800-342-5397). This is the same number listed on our corporate website www.ladwp.com as well as on your bi-monthly bill.
Also, customers should never purchase a prepaid debit card or gift card to avoid service disconnection or shutoff. Phone scammers may pose as utility employees and threaten to shut off your residential or business service unless you make an immediate payment over the phone, or try to pressure you into buying products or services, something LADWP would never do.
If you are able to verify that the individual in question is in fact, NOT an LADWP employee, you should contact local law enforcement authorities to report the incident.
“Scams perpetrated by individuals posing as utility workers are a growing problem across the country,” said LADWP General Manager David H. Wright. “Uniting with other utilities across the nation on Utility Scam Awareness Week is a great opportunity for us to get the word out on our customers’ social media feeds and via TV and radio stations, to continue to raise awareness about these increasingly sophisticated schemes.”
Utility Scam Awareness Day is an initiative of UUAS, a consortium of more than 100 U.S. and Canadian electric, water, and natural gas companies (and their respective trade associations), that aims to raise awareness of utility scams targeting customers. The Third Annual Utility Scam Awareness Day, held today, is supported by a week-long advocacy and awareness campaign focused on exposing the tactics of scammers.
UUAS’ Utility Scam Awareness Week campaign, highlighting “7 Scams in 7 Days,” began on November 11 and will continue through November 17.
UUAS and its member companies have helped to shut down more than 2,200 Toll-Free Numbers used by scammers against utility customers. The group recently was awarded the Toll-Free Industry’s Fraud Fighter Award in recognition of its advocacy and awareness campaign to stop scams that target electric, water, and natural gas company customers.
Follow along on LADWP’s social media accounts Twitter @LADWP and Facebook @LADWP through November 17 for tips on how to protect yourself against scams.
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