PECO Urges Customers To Be Aware Of Utility Scam

PECO is urging customers to be aware of a scam that continues to target customers in the Philadelphia area. The scam, which has been reportedly taking place throughout the country, claims that customers are behind on their account and must make immediate payment to avoid service termination.

Customers are being asked to purchase a pre-paid debit card, in random amounts, from local pharmacies or convenience stores. The customer is then directed to contact a number to utilize the card for immediate payment to their account. Once the information is provided to the scammer, the funds on the card are removed.

“We want to make our customers aware of this scam so they can protect themselves from becoming victims of this and other fraudulent activities,” said Mark Alden, PECO vice president of Customer Operations. “We will not tolerate anyone taking advantage of our customers. We are working closely with local police to investigate any instances of scamming in our service territory so that these individuals can be caught and brought to justice.”

PECO offers these tips for customers to help avoid being scammed:

• If customers receive a call from someone who says they are calling to collect a bill payment for PECO, the caller should be able to provide information specific to the customer’s account. This includes the following information:
  • Account Name
  • Account Address
  • Account Number
  • Amount of Current Balance

If the caller cannot provide this information, it is likely the call is not coming from PECO. In this case, customers should not provide any type of payment or financial information, and call the company immediately at 1-800-494-4000 to report the situation.

• Never provide your social security number, or banking or credit card information over the phone unless you have initiated the call.
• Never provide anyone access to your home who claims to be from PECO, or a contractor working for PECO, unless the person has proper identification. Customers can always contact the company at 1-800-494-4000 to confirm an official visit.

Based in Philadelphia, PECO is an electric and natural gas utility subsidiary of Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC). PECO serves 1.6 million electric and 494,000 natural gas customers in southeastern Pennsylvania and employs about 2,400 people in the region. PECO delivered 82.1 billion cubic feet of natural gas and 38.1 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity in 2011. Founded in 1881, PECO is one of the Greater Philadelphia Region's most active corporate citizens, providing leadership, volunteer and financial support to numerous arts and culture, education, environmental, economic development and community programs and organizations.

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