The faces of scams

What does a utility scam look like?

What does a utility scam look like? We think these emojis will help you remember!

If you know what to watch for, you’ll never have to look worried, like this:

 

 

# # # # #

“Pay now or we’ll cut you off.”

Scammers say this; we don’t. If you are at any risk of losing service, we’ll give you plenty of notice. You won’t be surprised by a phone call threatening imminent shutoff.

 

# # # # #

“Go get a prepaid card.”

Scammers often insist that you have to pay with prepaid cards or digital payment apps, because it’s convenient for them. We don’t pressure you to use these types of payments.

 

# # # # #

“This is a fee to connect your meter.”

Scammers sometimes make this claim. Any meter-related costs you have to pay are included as part of your bill. There’s no extra fee to get a meter fixed, replaced or connected.

# # # # #

 

“But I said–” *click*

Don’t be scared, pressured or intimidated by scam phone calls. Just hang up. Call your local police if you feel threatened.

 

# # # # #

Want to make sure your account is not overdue?

For peace of mind, you may want to verify your account is in good standing after receiving a scam call. To do that, log on at pplelectric.com, to check your account status.

 

6 Comments

  1. Mark Menges

    I am reporting 2 different ‘spoofed’ PPL utilities phone number that some kind of scammer is using. The 1st one is 610-774-5151 with caller I.d. showing as PPL. The 2nd one is 717-927-6953 and is caller i.d. ‘PPL Electric Utilities.’
    The caller has a definite accent of non-American origin.

    Reply
    • Kathryn

      Good Afternoon Mark, We appreciate you bringing this scam to our attention as we work to resolve this deceptive problem. We recommend that you block these phone numbers at this time. We encourage our customers to reach out to the PUC (Public Utility Commission) @ 1-800-692-7380 and The PA Office of the Atty General @ 717-787-3391 to report deceptive or scam activity. Thank you for reaching out to us and safeguarding your personal information.

      Reply
  2. Some Guy Who Doesn't Want to Be Scammed

    This number is still being used to spoof.

    610-774-5151
    610 774 5151

    Shows up as PP&L Utilities, then Principal Personnel.

    Gentlemen threatens legal action.

    You guys need to fix this.

    Reply
    • Lisa Stahl

      Good morning, some@guy.com,
      Thank you for the information you provided. We believe you were the target of a deceptive marketing scam and recommend that you report this incident to both the PUC at 1-800-692-7380 and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General at 1-800-441-2555.
      To help keep your account information safe, please consider these suggestions:
      Update account with PIN or password
      Keep email and phone number up-to-date
      Be wary of any energy supplier that pressures you to make a quick decision
      Don’t always trust your caller ID. If the caller is marketing energy supply or making threats, it’s not PPL. If in doubt, disconnect and call us at 1-800-342-5775 to verify
      Only return messages and calls to PPL at our official number: 1-800-342-5775

      If you have any further questions, please contact PPL at 1-800-342-5775. Our hours are Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm. Thank you.

      Reply
  3. Kelli

    Got a call from the 610 774 5151 after I signed up with another supplier this guy calls gives me a name and badge number, claims the supplier I chose was bought out by an electric company they were coming out to take out all ppl wiring and meters I would be without electric for 7-10 days and if I cancelled it was gonna cost me $900, it was my fault I didn’t read the fine print, but when I called ppl they haven’t gotten the request to switch my supplier yet, so where did this idiot get the information? Had a foreign accent and so did his buddy that told me it was gonna cost $900 to cancel.

    Reply
    • Lindsy Smigel

      Good afternoon, Kelli. We would like to look into this further for you, can you please PM us your account phone number and address so that we can assist you further? Thank you.

      Reply

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Categories

Archives