Scammers use aggressive tactics to steal money and account information

BALTIMORE (April 14, 2016) – Protect, verify and report! These are words every Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE) customer should think about if they receive a call claiming their BGE service will be terminated unless a payment is made by a specific method such as a prepaid, reloadable credit card. Customers should also bear these words in mind if someone approaches your home indicating he or she is a BGE employee. Remember to protect your personal information, take steps to verify the call or visit by contacting BGE yourself and report suspicious incidents to local law enforcement and BGE.

“While there are instances when BGE may need to call customers or come out to their homes or businesses for emergencies, or to inspect, maintain or install equipment, these situations can always be verified by customers by simply calling BGE’s customer service number, 800.685.0123,” said Rob Biagiotti, vice president of customer operations for BGE.

Recently, BGE and the Better Business Bureau serving Greater Maryland have been made aware of several incidents involving individuals going door-to-door, purporting to work for BGE and seeking personal information and account information from customers. In these cases, scammers obtain account information to change their energy provider without their knowledge. These individuals misrepresent themselves by displaying look-a-like BGE badges, logos and vehicles. In another type of scam, customers are pressured over the phone to pay their bill by purchasing a prepaid, reloadable credit card and providing it to an individual wearing a look-a-like BGE uniform and operating a vehicle with a similar BGE logo. Legitimate BGE employees will never ask customers to pay their bill by purchasing these types of prepaid, reloadable credit cards.

The safety of customers and employees is a top priority at BGE and the company encourages customers to take steps to protect their homes, businesses and personal information against utility imposters. Please remember the following tips: 

• If you receive a call claiming that your BGE service will be terminated unless you make a payment by purchasing a prepaid credit card, hang up immediately, contact local law enforcement and then report the incident to BGE by calling 800.685.0123. 
• Customers should never open their door to someone they don’t recognize and should always ask for a photo ID through the door or window, especially if you did not request a visit from BGE.
• Do NOT provide any personal information to the caller; do NOT purchase a prepaid credit card or gift card. 
• If someone states he or she is a BGE employee and asks to enter your home or business, ask for their employee information. If you are approached in person, ask to see photo identification, which should display the BGE logo, a name, photograph and identification number. Call BGE at 800.685.0123 and a representative can verify the employee and the nature of the visit or phone call. 
• Take note of BGE’s official methods of payment. Customers can pay their bills by calling the BGE customer contact center at 800.685.0123, online at bge.com, by mail and at authorized America’s Cash Express and Global Express locations. Customers can visit bge.com to learn more about payment options. 
• Trust your gut! If something seems suspicious, it probably is.

For more information about utility imposters and protecting your information, please view BGE’s utility imposter video.

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