CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Consumers are being urged to do what they can to avoid being victimized by a scam that is said to be growing every year.
ComEd, Nicor Gas, North Shore Gas and People's Gas have teamed with the Better Business Bureau to warn people about fake utility workers who show up at residents' doors or who call on the phone.
The scammers will even spoof caller IDs to make it appear as if it's actually the utility calling to tell you you owe money or that they need to inspect your home.
"We had a thousand complaints this year so far. That's just the tip of the iceberg. Most consumers don't even complain or don't know where to complain and sometimes they go directly to the police," Steve Bernas of the Better Business Bureau told WBBM Newsradio.
Bernas said the scam appears to increase around the holidays when people are more preoccupied.
He said he knew of a Southwest Side hot dog stand owner who received a call saying she owed $500 to ComEd and that if she didn't pay right then her electricity would be shut off, and it was the first day her business would be open.
"So she got scared. She wired them the money that they asked for and, obviously, it was fake and fraudulent," he said.
Bernas said a related scam is someone appearing to be a utility worker showing up to your home purportedly to check your connections. While you're in the basement with that fake worker, their accomplice is upstairs stealing things.
"This is a growing, popular scam and it works like a charm and it worked 34 years ago when I first heard about it and it's still continuing to increase each and every year," he said.
Bottom line, Bernas said verify someone is who they say they are by calling the utility but not by using the number the potential scammer gives you.
And don't give out personal information.
