Seattle City Light is urging its customers to be on guard against telephone con artists posing as utility bill collectors.
Recently, several customers reported that they received phone calls from people claiming to be City Light bill collectors. The callers claimed there was a problem with payment of the customer's bill and demanded credit card information to resolve the matter. The scammers appear to be targeting the elderly and customers who may have a primary language other than English.
City Light sends at least two written warnings to customers who are about to have their power turned off, asking them to contact the utility directly to make a payment. In addition, City Light never asks customers over the telephone for credit card information to pay their bills and does not call customers on weekends. Seattle City Light employees also carry identification with the City Light logo and will always display it when asked.
All City Light customers are advised to take down the name and telephone number of anyone who calls and represents themselves as a City Light employee.
Also, before a customer provides anyone with credit information, they should call City Light at 684-3000 to verify that the request is legitimate.
[[In-content Ad]]
