This content was originally published by the Longmont Observer and is licensed under a Creative Commons license.
Xcel Energy says that Longmont has been targeted by scammers who are trying to take advantage of our residents with a variety of different methods. Here's what Xcel says is happening (from the Xcel website):
Scammers claiming to be from Xcel Energy are contacting our customers by phone, email, and in person. They are attempting to trick our customers into paying money with the threat of consequences (such as their power being turned off) if they do not comply.
If you have any doubt about the authenticity of someone claiming to be with Xcel Energy and asking for payment, we recommend that you hang up and call Xcel Energy Customer Service at 1-800-895-4999 or our Business Solutions Center at 1-800-481-4700* (M–F, 8 a.m.–5 p.m).
By calling us at these numbers, you can always count on a legitimate representative helping you with your billing and payment questions.
If you have been the victim of a scam or attempted scam, please contact Xcel Energy Customer Service at the number above to report your experience. The information you provide will be shared with federal investigators to aid in a possible criminal investigation. You should also contact local authorities to file a criminal complaint.
*When contacting our Business Solutions Center to obtain billing and payment information, please be prepared to enter your complete account number in our automated phone system. We are making changes to increase the security of your account information.
Types of Scams:
Scammers claiming to be from Xcel Energy are contacting potential job applicants with employment offers. They are attempting to trick job applicants into divulging personal information on a fraudulent job application. Xcel Energy accepts job applications only through our website jobs.xcelenergy.com.
If you have any doubt about the authenticity of an employment offer from Xcel Energy, please contact our recruiting department at [email protected]
Here are a few tips and examples that may help you avoid being scammed over the phone:
Tips to avoid phone scams
- NEVER give out personal information, debit/credit card numbers, or wire money as a result of an unexpected or unsolicited call if you cannot validate the caller’s authenticity.
Xcel Energy customers will initially be contacted by U.S. mail about past due bills, not over the phone. You will also be sent a disconnection notice in writing before your power is actually turned off.
- Xcel Energy provides many options for payment; be suspicious if the caller is REQUIRING the use of a prepaid debit card, such as a Green Dot Prepaid Card.
Ask the caller for details about his or her name, phone number, company, etc. Your questions may scare them away. If not, document what they tell you, including the date and time you speak with them, caller ID number and anything else that may aid in a possible criminal investigation. Contact your local authorities and Xcel Energy Customer Service (1-800-895-4999) to report theft or attempted theft due to scams.
- Beware if a caller exhibits irritation, unease, or anger when you question their authority. Notice if their emotion intensifies when you ask to speak with their manager, for their phone number, or to call back later.
- Know how to access your monthly bill easily. For example, you can access your account online through our MyAccount service.
Examples of phone scam tactics
The following information will help you identify tactics scammers use and understand our actual business processes:
| Scammers | Xcel Energy |
| Tell intended victims their account is past due and they must pay using a pre-paid debit card, such as a Green Dot card. | Provides many options for payment; we NEVER REQUIRE the use of a prepaid debit card, such as a Green Dot card. |
| Threaten to turn off power if a payment is not made immediately. | Sends disconnection notices by U.S. mail before turning off power. If you are uncertain of your account status, you may check it using the My Account feature on our website or call us at our standard customer service phone numbers. |
| May call on nights and weekends. | Contacts customers Monday through Friday only – not on weekends. Business customers are contacted from 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. (CST); and residential customers from 9 a.m. - 8 p.m. (CST). |
| Claim that the customer has overpaid their energy bill and need to provide a personal bank account or credit card number to facilitate a refund. | Will apply overpayments to a customer's billing account allowing the credit balance to cover future energy charges. Refunds of overpayments are typically only made by mailing a check to the customer's address on file. We will not call a customer to ask for bank account or credit card information for the purpose of providing a refund. |
| Provide a fake account number, anticipating the customer will not know their own or have access to it. | Can provide additional information to confirm that a payment reminder call is legitimate. For example, you could ask us to provide you with the date you opened an account with the company. |
| Play a recording that sounds like an Xcel Energy phone system message when a victim calls the call back number they provide. | Our standard customer service lines are 1-800-895-4999 (residential callers) and 1-800-481-4700 (business callers). You may always call these numbers to verify the authenticity of a call you received. |
| Manipulate caller ID to display a fake number, which may actually be Xcel Energy’s number. This is called spoofing. | If we call a customer, it will be from the phone numbers listed above. If you are suspicious about the call you are receiving, you may always hang up and call back. You can always count on a legitimate representative helping you with your billing and payment questions at these numbers. |
Xcel Energy uses email to communicate with customers about their accounts, inform them about available Xcel Energy programs and provide newsletters. Xcel Energy will never ask for your Social Security Number, driver's license number, passwords, or financial information by e-mail.
Be aware that scammers use “phishing” attacks involving emails that appear authentic but seek to obtain personal information, such as Social Security Numbers, passwords, or financial information. If you receive an email that appears to be from Xcel Energy that you are not sure about, do not respond to it; instead, forward the email to: [email protected], indicating that you suspect that it might be fraudulent. You can also call us at 1-800-895-4999.
Make sure emails you receive regarding a bill due are from us by checking the following:
- Take notice if you receive a communication at a time of month that is out of the ordinary for your billing cycle.
- Note that our electronic bill notifications are sent from [email protected].
- Make sure the link in the notification goes to our My Account login page. If it goes to another website, the email is fraudulent.
- Be wary of disconnection notices received via email. We send disconnection notices through the U.S. postal service only; we don't send them electronically.
- Xcel Energy will never require you to make a payment using a prepaid debit card over the phone, using a phone number provided in an email. If you receive such an email, do not click on the link; instead, forward the email to [email protected].
All Xcel Energy employees and most contractors who perform work for us carry company ID cards. Ask to see a company ID if someone on your property claims to be working for Xcel Energy, regardless of the work being performed. If the person cannot show you an ID, ask him or her to leave and return only with proper identification. If you have questions about someone claiming to work for Xcel Energy, please call our Customer Contact Center at 1-800-895-4999.
Typical examples of situations that require a utility worker to enter your home:
- Natural gas-related issues
- Appliance checks
- Meter readings/checks
These situations are usually a response to a request that you initiated—asking us to check a suspected gas odor or leak, service appliances, or read/check your meter.
Occasionally, we may ask for access into your home that is not in response to a request you have placed. This could occur if there has been a natural gas outage in your neighborhood and we need indoor access to relight the pilot lights of your gas appliances, or to perform a gas leak test.
Some situations may require that we enter your yard to:
- Restore power associated with an electric outage in your neighborhood—our work is usually performed on poles or metal pad-mounted cabinets
- Change out or restore an outside meter that was temporarily shut off
- Locate and/or dig for buried utilities
- Trim trees away from power lines that run through your property
We encourage you to always ask for proof of identification.
