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The utility company has issued the warning in light of a recent attempted scam in Simsbury.
A bakery owner received a call from someone claiming to be from Eversource, threatening to shut off their power in two hours unless they made an immediate payment.
“It was a terrible feeling - we had a full restaurant at the time and I knew if our power was shut off we’d lose a lot of business on one of our busiest days of the week,” said the business' co-owner. “The person on the phone sounded legitimate and was very convincing at first. But when the person told me I had to go to a payment center at Big Y or Walmart, I knew something wasn’t right.”
After calling Eversource to confirm the status of her account, the owner realized she was the target of a scam.
Although the incident happened in Simsbury this type of scam continues to plague small businesses around the country, according to Eversource officials.
In Connecticut, callers claim to be from Eversource and tell them their service is scheduled to be shut off. They then pressure them to make an immediate payment by purchasing a pre-paid debit card at a certain location.
“These scams work by scaring customers and catching them off guard, hoping they’ll ignore their better judgment and make a payment or provide personal information,” said Penni Conner, senior vice president and chief customer officer at Eversource. “If any of our customers suspect someone is impersonating an Eversource representative - whether on the phone or in-person - even if they show identification, they should contact us immediately or call the local police.”
If you have doubts about a call or home visit, call Eversource at (800) 286-2000 and report the incident to local police immediately.
Visit the Eversource website for more information.
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