Page 14 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – WEDnEsDAy, July 3, 2024 Fourth o Please Drive Safely! Alfred Lattanzi & Family Marcony Almeida-Barros Ward 5 School Committee Ward 2 Councillor Stephanie Martins Ramp, Wrecker & Trespass Towing 3 BUELL ST., EVERETT, MA 617-389-2736 FAX: 617-381-9700 F.J. LaRovere Insurance Agency, Inc. 492 Broadway, Everett, MA 02149 617-387-9700 Open Mon-Fri 8am-6pm, Sat 9am-1pm Paul’s Towing, Inc. Fasy, Friendly & Professional Service BBB Scam Alert: Utility impostor scam tility scams happen any time of year, but will typically pop up during extreme cold or heat events when many people are more likely to need their heat or air conditioning. Scammers may impersonate water, electric, and gas company representatives, threatening residents and business owners with deactivation of service if they don’t pay up immediately. How the scam works Utility company impostors U will typically contact customers with a phone call, text, or knock on the door, claiming to be a representative from the local water, electric, or gas company. In the most common scenario, they will claim payment is overdue and the utility will shut off within the hour if the bill is not paid immediately. Scammers use a variety of other tricks to prey on utility customers. A “representative” may appear at the door in a plausible work uniform claiming that the electric meter is not working properly and must be immediately replaced— at the homeowner’s expense. In another form of this con, the scammer may gain access inside the home to perform “repairs” or an “energy audit” with the intent of stealing valuables or coming across personally identifiable information that just happens to be out in plain sight. These cons may also involve promises of energy discounts with the intent of taking money, personal information, or possibly the account details needed to switch the resident to another utility provider without consent (an illegal practice known as “slamming”). One person shared their experience with a utility scam on BBB Scam Tracker: “The caller pretended to be a [company name redacted] customer service rep, telling me my electric is being shut off within 1 hour if I don’t go to [company name redacted] to send them 232 dollars immediately.” Another consumer reported, “...Lady claimed to be from [company name redacted] and told us our power would be shut off in 45 minutes and we were to call the billing department. [My] husband called the number and they asked for a credit card. He didn’t feel right about it and called [company name redacted] and they said it was a scam.” Tips to spot this scam Prepaid debit cards and wire transfers are a red fl ag. If a caller specifi cally asks for payment by prepaid debit card, gift card, a digital wallet app, or wire transfer, this is a huge warning BBB SCAM ALERT | SEE PAGE 19 ly H f Ju appy
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