Not to start off March with a bad news story, but more an opportunity to protect you, your business, and your family, from fraud. Recently Electric Advisors has had a few commercial customers who had scammers call their facilities with a false claim of representing Pepco and demanding immediate payment for past due bills, or face having their power cut off in a matter of hours. The voice is official sounding, does a good job of striking fear of those on the other end of the phone, and offers a quick solution to prevent the electrical disconnect. The solution offered is where, for most people, the scam should fall apart. 

The scammer demands you purchase "Green Dot" or gift cards in the amount of the delinquent balance. Once you purchase the cards you are instructed to call another number to have your account credited and your Pepco disconnect order cancelled. Once the gift card number is given to the scammer, your money is gone forever. We have checked with numerous utility companies and none of them use this technique to collect a delinquent debt.

The best advice to prevent these scumbags from succeeding? Hang up the phone and call the number on your utility bill. If you can't find your utility bill, search on the web for it. Make sure your employees forward collection calls to the responsible party.

And let's not forgot our parents and grandparents. This scam is also being used to attack the elderly. Here is to a prosperous and safe 2016!