Fight back against scammers
It’s high noon and business is booming at the local restaurant when the phone rings. The caller says they’re from CoServ Customer Care and the restaurant is about to have its electricity cut off because of a past-due balance.
They have 30 minutes to pay.
It’s already chaotic with staff shortages and supply chain issues, not to mention inflation increasing the cost of everything, including electricity.
The restaurant manager quickly pays the balance over the phone, not wanting to risk having the power go out with a restaurant full of customers.
It’s not until later that the truth is revealed: That wasn’t CoServ – it was a scammer pretending to be from CoServ.
Scammers are targeting both commercial and residential Members but businesses are especially vulnerable because it’s so easy to find their phone number online, said Brianna McBride, Training and Process Implementation Supervisor for CoServ Customer Care.
Fortunately, there are several ways CoServ Members and Customers can fight back and see through the scammers’ deception.
THREE THINGS COSERV WILL NEVER DO
- Call about a past-due balance one hour before disconnection.
- Request that a past-due balance be paid via pre-paid gift card or mobile payment apps like Zelle, Cash App, Venmo, etc.
- Demand payment for equipment such as a meter
WHAT COSERV DOES WHEN AN ACCOUNT IS PAST DUE
- If the bill is past due, a disconnection notice is mailed out 3 days after the due date, which gives another 10 days to pay or service could be disconnected.
- CoServ will send notifications and emails about past-due balances and pending disconnections, for those enrolled through SmartHub.
For more information on how to protect yourself, visit CoServ.com/AvoidScams.