Thieves are hoping someone answers the phone.
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 deliquent 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!