?The following information was posted by Reliant Energy
?Situation: Dallas-Fort Worth retail electricity customers, including small businesses, homeowners and apartment dwellers, have been the target of recent fraudulent activity, which has increased over the last two weeks. {{more}}
The scammers, posing as Reliant employees, have called customers in Texas threatening to disconnect their electricity due to an overdue bill. The customer is told to make immediate payment via a money order or prepaid debit card, such as MoneyPak or Green Dot. Scammers seem to be specifically targeting ethnic communities and small businesses, including restaurants.
How to Spot a Scam: While Reliant does contact customers to address past due balances to avoid disconnect of service, customers should be suspicious of anyone claiming to be a Reliant employee who asks for money to be loaded to a prepaid debit card or directs a customer to pay via money order or PayPal.?
Action: If a Reliant customer suspects they are being targeted, they should not make any payments to the caller. Customers can call the number on their Reliant invoice, 1-866-222-7100, to talk with an agent or use the automated phone system. They can also use Reliant?s chat feature or online account management tools. Anyone who has fallen victim to this scam should contact the police to file a report. More information is available by visiting the??Edison Electric Institute website.?
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CONTACTS:? ? Pat Hammond
