June 12,2015
Ridgewoood NJ, Ridgewood Police report that on Friday June 5, 2015, a business in Ridgewood received (4) suspicious telephone calls from a party identifying themselves as a representative of Public Service Electric and Gas. The caller informed the business owner that they were delinquent paying their bill and threatened to turn off the service to that address if they failed to provide them with MoneyPak cards valued at $569.00. Upon verifying that the call was fraudulent the business owner notified the Ridgewood Police Department. This type of fraudulent call has been on the upswing with the calls frequently originating from outside of the United States. Homeowners and business owners alike should beware of suspicious callers and know that Public Service and other local utilities do not collect unpaid bills in this manner.
Beware of suspicious activity and trust your instincts. If you think you may have been the victim of a scam, please call our 24-hour customer service center at 1-800-436-PSEG (7734). You may also contact your local police department.
Phone scams
Residential and small business customers have reported receiving deceptive phone calls from individuals pretending to be PSE&G employees. The callers demand that customers make a payment within hours using a Green Dot Money Pak, a type of pre-paid card available at pharmacies and convenience stores. PSE&G does not accept these cards.
PSE&G offers a variety of payment options, and would never require a customer to use one specific type of payment. PSE&G customers scheduled for disconnection due to nonpayment receive written notice on their bill at least 10 days in advance.
Any customer who has doubts about the legitimacy of a call from PSE&G — especially one in which payment is requested — should call us directly at 1-800-436-PSEG (7734).
Email scams
A PSE&G customer has reported receiving a fraudulent email that looked like a bill from the utility. A number of other utilities, including PSEG Long Island, have reported similar scams. The emails contain a link that when clicked infect the customer’s computer with a virus or malware.
The utility is urging its customers to be wary of these types of suspicious emails. Bills sent by PSE&G to our customers via email would be sent from myaccount@pseg.com. PSE&G would not ask its customers to provide personal information online without first logging into MyAccount.
If you receive this type of email, do not provide any personal information, do not download any attachments, and do not click on any links in the email.
Imposters at your door
Residential customers have reported incidents of strangers posing as PSE&G employees to gain access to their home or to lure them out of their house.
Ask for identification from anyone who comes to your door looking like a PSE&G employee. If you are not satisfied, don’t let the person into your house. Call 911 if you feel intimidated or threatened.
All PSE&G employees — meter readers, servicewomen and men, and office workers — always wear a badge that tells you who we are. The badge, or identification card (ID for short), should look like the ID pictured above. It has the employee’s name, photograph and the PSE&G logo on it.
If you are not sure of an employee’s identity or have difficulty with the badges, call us at 1-800-436-PSEG (7734). A service representative can verify that an employee has been dispatched to your premises.
