CMP warns of spike in scam calls to pay bill
Wednesday, June 17, 2015 1:42 pm AUGUSTA, Maine - Central Maine Power is reporting a new surge of calls to customers from scam artists claiming to represent the utility and demanding immediate payments. "Scammers have renewed their efforts to get our customers to depart with their hard-earned money," said CMP spokesperson Gail Rice. "Customers should be wary of calls threatening immediate disconnection, and should instead call CMP if they have any questions about their account status." Scammers have typically called business customers - often restaurants and markets just prior to their lunch or dinner rush periods - but they've also targeted residential customers. Some customers reported receiving multiple calls in the same day. Most are warned of imminent disconnection, instructed to purchase a prepaid debit card, and told to call a specific number with the card information. In some cases, the perpetrators tell customers they had not received a recent payment or they had incorrectly processed a payment, and the customer had to pay again. Rice added that some scammers have become increasingly creative in their efforts. "They use devices that spoof caller ID systems so the call looks like it's coming from CMP," she said. "Fortunately, most customers have taken notice of our prior warnings and know these calls are all scams." CMP warns customers to verify all information before making such payments, and offers these tips to keep their account information secure:
Additional information on avoiding scams can be found at CMP's website: http://www.cmpco.com/YourAccount/payyourbill/PaymentScams.html. Customers who believe they have been scammed should contact their local law enforcement agency and the Federal Trade Commission (http://www.ftc.gov/).
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