📋 Utility Bill Scam Targets Grieving Family (AARP Article)

[SpringIsHereVA]

FROM THE ARTICLE - SEE ARTICLE FOR MORE!!!

Criminals pretend to be the power company.

By AARP. Published May 10, 2024.

Lorraine is grieving her father when she receives a letter claiming to be from Florida Power & Light notifying her to contact them. A ▶️*** kind ***◀️ "operator" named Anna walks her through the process of switching the account from her father to setting up a new one in her name and paying a deposit. A few weeks later, a notice from the real Florida Power & Light arrives in Lorraine’s mailbox and she realizes Anna wasn’t who she said she was. The criminals have gotten away with the $300 deposit, and the information they have stolen is much more valuable.

https://www.aarp.org/podcasts/the-perfect-scam/info-2024/utility-bill-grieving-family.html

[Cadee2719]

  When I was preparing to move we had a power outage (common occurrence in California).  I then had to call the Water and Power company to request that they turn my power off as I was moving.  I get a call from someone stating that they are coming to shut my power off the DAY I CALLED.  I said I requested a shut off date to happen several days later.  He said that I would need to call the company supervisor and gave me the number.  I did this and was told I owed $1378.00 from last year and I had to pay it immediately or I would have my power shut off.  I said that I would call him back.  I then verified with my bank that I did indeed pay this bill and the check was processed.  I then called the Dept. of Water and Power and they said they DID NOT CALL ME and that this was a scam.  They had, knew the exact amount of the bill, and all information on that particular bill.  When I asked the Dept. of Water and Power how they had access to all that information on the bill they claimed was overdue, they could not explain. I told them it sounded like an "inside job" to me and that they should investigate.  I never heard from them again.  When my husband died I began to get calls from scammers every week.  I stopped answering the phone and let all calls go to voicemail.  Since I have moved I have not received one call.

[SpringIsHereVA]

Cadee @Cadee2719 , that is a concern I have for when I MOVE from my Studio Apt.

Here they NEVER turn off electric.

NO ONE comes out to read meters.

I have heard HORROR stories of electric that was SUPPOSE to be TRANSFERRED out of a PREVIOUS resident's name WAS NOT.

So they get a bill with the NEXT person's usage PLUS what Apartment Office used to do whatever they do to get apartment ready for next person.

Nicole  🤗🤗🤗

[GailL1]

@SpringIsHereVA @Cadee2719 

I have an online account with my utility company and can monitor everything from there - in fact, you handle all matters online or thru the app.  In fact you even know your usage at any given point in time, making it easy to know your responsibility for how-much on a specific cut off date. 

That’s a good thing about technology in some aspects of our life, you can monitor pretty much in real time - in fact, government is now getting onboard too - I now would get a message from my local government IF my title on my home has been altered. 

ALWAYS check the sender of any email that comes to you - NEVER  respond via the email, always go to the actual site - scammers are out in droves nowadays.

[BenjaminM550041]

It's heartbreaking to see scammers exploit moments of vulnerability like Lorraine's. They prey on trust and grief, causing financial and emotional damage. Awareness and vigilance are crucial to protect ourselves and our loved ones from such deceitful schemes.

[SpringIsHereVA]

And what really concerns me Benjamin @BenjaminM550041 is that she LOST her $300 deposit.

The power company should have given her that.

GREAT hearing from you!!!

Nicole  👵

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[*** BENJAMIN wrote: It's heartbreaking to see scammers exploit moments of vulnerability like Lorraine's. They prey on trust and grief, causing financial and emotional damage. Awareness and vigilance are crucial to protect ourselves and our loved ones from such deceitful schemes. ***]

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[SpringIsHereVA]

Hello Grief Friends, this is SO SAD and I NEVER realized this SCAM exists!!!  😱😱😱

Goes to show you cannot trust every ▶️*** KIND ***◀️ [mentioned in article] person who enters your life.

BE CAREFUL and spread the word please.

Thanks,

Nicole  🤗🤗🤗