UGI Expands Efforts to Stop Scammers from Deceiving Utility Customers

From UGI Utilities Inc.

UGI continues to spread awareness of scammers targeting utility customers, but the scammers are not stopping their aggressive tactics to target and deceive customers. UGI is reaching out to law enforcement departments to make them aware of the scams in hopes that the departments will also alert the public. Despite these efforts, UGI customers continue to tell UGI that they fell for a scam and lost money.

In most cases, scammers are creating fraudulent online ads that often include phone numbers or website addresses. These phone numbers and websites are not connected to the legitimate utility company and instead are used as bait to connect the customer directly to the scammer. Scammers are not only going after UGI customers. Whichever utility the customer is trying to reach, the scammer will pose as that company. Several UGI customers have called the phone numbers they see on the scam ads and have been tricked into paying for service-related issues that do not involve a charge or were told they had to pay a fee for UGI to investigate a possible gas leak. UGI will never charge anyone to investigate a possible gas leak!

Scammers are hoping customers use an online search engine to look up phrases like “utility phone number” or “how to pay my utility bill.” When a search engine is used to find a website or phone number, sponsored ads can show up. Once the customer is on the phone with the scammer, the scammer tells the customer they are trying to confirm their account by asking for account information, including name, phone number, and email address. The scammers use high-pressure tactics to demand payment, sometimes in unusual payment methods, for whatever the customer is calling about.

The best advice to beat the scammers at their game is to know your utilities’ phone number and website. For UGI, it is 800-276-2722 and ugi.com. This is the only UGI phone number a customer should call for any issue, including bill payment or account and service issues.

UGI Utilities, Inc. is a natural gas and electric utility company that serves more than 760,000 customers. Additional information about UGI Utilities, Inc. is available at ugi.com.

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Source: bctv