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PSE&G warns customers about nationwide payment scam
Scammers ask for personal information such as social security numbers
PSE&G is alerting its customers about a nationwide phony bill payment program that promises to credit or pay utility bills in exchange for personal information, including social security numbers. The scam, which has been reported in a number of states, claims that President Barack Obama is providing credits or applying payments to utility bills.
Here's how the scam works:
- Someone calls a utility customer and tells them that the federal government has a program to pay utility bills on a one-time basis.
- Customers are asked to provide their social security numbers to apply for the program.
- The scammers then give customers a phony federal reserve bank number. Customers are told to enter the phony bank number to pay their utility bills online or receive a credit. While it initially appears that the customer's bill has been paid (or credit applied), no government funds are applied to the customer's account, and the account balance remains due. Some PSE&G customers have reported that they entered the false information, and then called the company to verify that the payment was made by the government on their behalf.
- According to reports, the scammers are also emailing, texting and using social media to reach customers.
What you should know:
- Customers should be assured that PSE&G account information is protected and that no one should be contacting customers requesting social security numbers, or usernames or passwords for customers who use online account services. To help protect the security of PSE&G accounts, PSE&G will not contact customers to request their social security number, as well as username or password for customers who use online account services, such as PSE&G's myAccount.
- When PSE&G makes an outbound phone call to customers, automated or manually, the caller ID will identify the call as coming from PSE&G. The PSE&G representative will ask appropriate security questions and provide predetermined information to confirm customer identity. If customers do not receive these pieces of information, they likely are not speaking with a PSE&G representative. If customers feel uncomfortable and they know they have an outstanding balance that needs to be resolved, they should hang up and call PSE&G directly at 1-800-436-7734, or visit a local PSE&G Customer Service Center. Service Centers are open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM with locations listed on customer bills. Addresses also are available online at: http://www.pseg.com/centers
What to do if you are contacted:
- If you receive a phone call, email or other communication purporting to be from PSE&G requesting your social security number, username or password, please do not provide it. Nor should you click on any links or respond in any manner. Send an email to PSE&G's security department at PSEG-BAandR@pseg.com with details about what occurred.
- If you believe you are a victim of this scam, notify the proper authorities, such as local police and report the incident to the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs (DCA) at (800) 242-5846 or (973) 504-6200. If you entered the phony bank number to pay your bill, please remove it from your online bill payment information. Please remember that no government funds were applied to your account and your balance remains due.
- Customers who have doubts about the legitimacy of any call from PSE&G, especially one in which payment is requested, should call PSE&G directly.
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