WASHINGTON – Baltimore Gas and Electric is warning customers about a telephone scam, one that is a new problem for the company.
Nearly two dozen customers in the past two weeks have notified the utility about the scam.
Spokesperson Rachael Lighty says most of the complaints have come from the Baltimore area.
She says the scammer will say he is a BGE represenative, and the customer’s account is past due.
The scammer then tells the customer he needs a prepaid Visa debit card to pay off the balance. The customer is then directed to call another phone number to give his personal information to put money on the card.
But, Lighty says that money does not go toward a customer’s bill. That money is then stolen by the scammers.
In a news release, BGE recommends the following:
“To avoid this specific scam, customers can ask for the name on the account, the account address and the exact past-due balance. If the caller cannot provide that information, customers should not provide any type of payment or financial information.”
Customers who have received fishy calls like this “should notify their local law enforcement, and also contact BGE at our customer contact center,” Lighty says.
The number for BGE’s customer center is 800-685-0123.
BGE customers can pay their bills over the phone, online, by mail and at authorized America’s Cash Express and Global Express locations.
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