French Settlement is urging customers to guard themselves against utility imposters and scams. Utilities have seen an increase in customers reporting scams. Pretending to be a trusted utility worker is a trick some criminals use to gain access to homes, obtain payments or steal personal information.
Customers should keep in mind that French Settlement employees will not just stop by and request access to a home without an appointment. Customers should also use French Settlement’s payment options to pay their bill, and not provide payment information to a caller. Some callers will claim an overpayment was made and the need for credit card information to process a refund. This is a scam.
According to Tyler White, Superintendent for French Settlement, customers should remain alert of possible scammers. He said, “We want to be sure our neighbors are aware and do not give these scammers money or personal information. Our employees all carry employee badges, and our trucks are marked with our logo. If we need to enter a customer’s home, we do require an appointment to allow entry and won’t come to the property demanding access inside. It is extremely rare for an employee to show up at a customer’s home without an appointment.”
French Settlement recommends taking the following precautions when contacted by someone who says they are a utility worker:
- Look for the logo. All French Settlement personnel wear company-branded clothing and drive company-branded vehicles.
- Never give cash. Our employees never collect money or credit card information from customers in the field.
- If you suspect someone may be a utility imposter, close and lock your door, and call 9-1-1. Customers can also call French Settlement at 877-623-3440 to report the incident and confirm whether service work is scheduled in their area.
- If you suspect you are receiving a phone call from someone attempting to scam you for payment, please hang up. Please call French Settlement or log in to your online account to verify your account status.
- Sign up for online account management and paperless billing for secure, online bill payment.
Scams can be very convincing and often target those who are most vulnerable, including senior citizens and low-income communities. They also aim their scams at small businesses during busy customer service hours. However, with the right information, customers can learn to protect themselves and others against these scams.
We care about our customers and their safety, and we don’t mind when our customers confirm our employee’s identification. We strongly encourage our customers to contact us directly if they have questions.