Utilities United Against Scams & Consumer's Guide to Impostor Utility Scams

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Over 100 gas, electric, and water companies in the U.S. and Canada are collaborating through Utilities United Against Scams (UUAS) to combat utility scams. The UUAS charter, adopted in July 2017, lists executive committee members and organizations engaged with UUAS. 76 organizations have adopted the charter so far, including prominent companies and associations. The mission is to inform and protect consumers by sharing best practices and implementing initiatives against utility scams.

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Utilities United Against Scams & Consumer s Guide to Impostor Utility Scams National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates 2017 Annual Meeting November 13, 2017 Sheri Givens Givens Energy sheri@givensenergy.com

Over 100 gas, electric, and water companies and their respective associations across the U.S. and Canada are participating. The collaborative group s mission is to combat utility scams by providing a forum for utility companies and associations to share data and best practices and to work together to implement initiatives to inform and protect our customers. By coordinating UUAS efforts across North America, its scale will magnify the impact of its member companies campaigns. 2

UUAS Charter (Adopted July 2017) Executive Committee Members: Chair: Jared Lawrence (Electric - Duke Energy) Vice Chair: Tim Dicks (Gas - Xcel Energy) Vice Chair: Joseph Herits (Water - Middlesex Water) Database Committee Chair: Mandi Lesher (IREA) Communications Committee Chair: Christina Mease (Dominion Energy) Consumer Education Committee: Anita Moreno (Flint Energies) Membership Recruitment Committee: Deb Beaver (JEA) Executive Director: Sheri Givens (non-voting) 3

Of the 122 organizations that have been engaged with UUAS, 76 organizations have adopted the charter so far: AEP (Appalachian Power, Kentucky Power, AEP Ohio, Indiana Michigan Power, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, SWEPCO, AEP TX) AltaGas Utilities Ameren American Gas Association APPA Bowling Green Municipal Utilities California Water Service Canadian Electricity Association Chelan PUD Chesapeake Utilities Colorado Springs Utilities ComEd ConEdison CSWeek Dominion Dominion Questar Duke Energy (DEC, DEI, DEO, DEK, DEF, PNG) EEI El Paso Electric Los Angeles Department of Water & Power El Paso Water ENMAX Eversource First Energy Flint EMC Gainesville Regional Utilities Grand Valley Power Green Bay Water Utility Hydro Ottawa Indiana Michigan Power Company IREA JEA KCPL Kissimmee Utility Authority Lacey (City of) Laurens Electric LG&E-KU Liberty 4

Charter companies and associations (continued): Macon Water Authority MDU Resources (Montana-Dakota Utilities, Great Plains Natural Gas, Intermountain Gas Company, Cascade Natural Gas) Middlesex Water Company Midwest Energy, Inc. Minnesota Power National Association of Water Companies Newton County Water and Sewerage Authority NorthWestern Energy NRECA Oncor PECO Pedernales Electric Cooperative Pennsylvania American Water PG&E Philadelphia Gas Works Portland General Electric Portland Water Bureau Portland (Maine) Water District PowerStream Xcel Energy PPL Electric Utilities PSE&G PSEG Long Island Saint John Energy Salt River Project SDG&E SMUD SoCalGas South Central Power Southern California Edison Southern Company (Alabama Power, Gulf Power) Southern Company Gas Southwest Gas SWEPCO TECO TEP Vectren We Energies 5

Go, Tweet, and Follow New Website: www.UtilitiesUnited.org Twitter: @U_U_A_S Facebook: @UtilitiesUnited 6

Ongoing UUAS Efforts 2017 Campaign focused on Guide and Shutting Down Scammers. Since March 2017, over 600 TFNs have been shut down in partnership with Somos, the FCC s Toll-Free Neutral Administrator. Continuing coordination of monthly UUAS committee calls, increasing database content contributors, and raising UUAS member company numbers and participation (100 to 3,000 and beyond). Extending collaboration beyond the utility industry retailers, prepaid card companies, and law enforcement. This Wednesday, November 15th, is Utility Scam Awareness Day per US Congressional resolution designating the third Wednesday of November as such. 7

Utility Consumers Guide to Impostor Utility Scams Authored by Sheri Givens for Utilities United Against Scams 8

Part 2: The Consumer Guide About the Guide Guide s Audience Guide s Table of Contents Types of Scams: Phone, In-Person, and Internet/Email Tips to Avoid Imposter Utility Scams Reporting Imposter Utility Scams Publicizing and Distributing the Guide 9

About the Guide The guide is the first consumer-facing publication of UUAS. It was supported by five electric, water, and gas trade associations: AGA, APPA, EEI, NAWC, and NRECA. The five trade associations have worked with the author since June 2017 reviewing drafts and providing comments. The content of the guide was sourced from publicly available sources through a year s worth of research on the utility imposter scam landscape. Peer reviewers of the guide include: NASUCA (THANK YOU!); AARP (THANK YOU!); NARUC (Brad Ramsay); Nevada AG, and UUAS members. The guide is intended to be translated in Spanish in the coming months. 10

Guides Audience The average utility customer likely will not search for a scam awareness guide without having first become a victim of a scam. Therefore, the guide is aimed toward community leaders (i.e., legislators, regulators, advocates, elected state and local officials). These leaders can use the guide in presentations, newsletters, social media, and other public means to communicate to their communities the types of ongoing imposter utility scams. At the end of the guide, there are several two-page documents with crucial information from the guide that can be posted on bulletin boards in community centers or copied and used as leave-behinds at community events. 11

Guides Table of Contents Scam Types: Phone; In-Person; and Internet Tips to Avoid Scams: Phone: Hang up on Calls from Crooks; In-Person: Shut the Door on Scammers; and Internet: Delete Suspicious Emails Next Steps and Updates Appendices:Top 10 Impostor Utility Scams; General Tips to Avoid Imposter Utility Scams; Tips to Avoid the Most Common Impostor Utility Scams; and Reporting Imposter Utility Scams (Toll-Free Numbers and Websites) 12

Hang Up on Phone Scams Disconnection Deception. Equipment or Repair Bogus Fee. Overpayment Trick. Federal Assistance Hoax. Bill Payment or Credit Con. Power Restoration Rip Off. Smishing Scam. 13

Shut the Door on Imposter In-Person Scams Leak Lie. Scammers, posing as utility workers, may knock on your door claiming that there is a major gas or water leak in the area and that they need to come inside to check the pipes or lines in the bathroom or basement. Home Improvement Huckster. Scammers, posing as utility works, may appear unannounced at your front door, offering a free energy audit, efficiency inspection, water quality or pressure testing, or some other service. Contractor Con. Scammers, posing as utility workers or contractors affiliated with your utility, may knock on your door, sometimes late in the evening claiming to be hired to record the size of the meter and fuse box within the house. 14

Delete Email Scams Bogus Bills. Scammers send suspicious emails that appear to be a bill sent by your utility company, potentially featuring the utility s logo and color scheme emulating a genuine utility bill email notification. Employment Ruse. Scammers post spoofed utility employment listings on job- search websites mimicking elements of legitimate job postings. After a candidate applies for a job, an interview may be set up via online chat, the candidate offered the job, and mailed a fraudulent check to deposit which bounces, returned for insufficient funds, and the amount of the check will debited from the victim s bank account. 15

Tips to Avoid Imposter Utility Scams Protect Personal Information. Take Your Time. Utilities Mail Disconnection Notices. Always Ask Questions. Report the Scam to Your Utility. Pay Your Utility Only. Stay Updated on Scams. 16

Reporting Imposter Utility Scams Toll-Free Numbers & Websites Your Utility:You should be able to find your utility s customer service or contact number on your monthly bill, on your utility s website, or through your phone s directory assistance. State & Local Entities: Your Local Law Enforcement, State Attorney General Offices, State Consumer Protection Agency, State Utility Consumer Advocate, and State Utility Commission. Federal Agencies: Federal Trade Commission, Complaint Assistant; Federal Trade Commission, (IdentityTheft.gov); FBI s Internet Crime Complaint Center and Local Offices; U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Social Security Administration; National Do Not Call Registry; Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Complaints; FCC s Consumer Complaint Center. Other:Credit Reporting Agencies, Better Business Bureau s Scam Tracker, and AARP s Fraud Watch Network. Payment Providers: Green Dot; MoneyPak; Reloadit; Vanilla; ITunes Gift Cards; Western Union; and MoneyGram. 17