Scam alert
Atlantic City Electric reports an increase in scams targeting its customers since October 2023 and urges customers to be on the lookout for imposters using energy-related scams to steal money, especially over the phone.
In 2023, Atlantic City Electric, and its sister utilities Delmarva Power and Pepco, recorded the following impact from phone scams:
- More than 2,200 reports of scam attempts, a 5% increase over 2022
- The success rate of the scammers increased to 11% up from 10% in the prior year
- 36% increase in attempts in the fourth quarter of the year compared to the same period in 2022.
- In the fourth quarter, customers lost more than $74,000, a 64% increase from the same period in 2022.
- In all, customers lost more than $205,000 to phone scams, nearly 30% more than 2022.
Be alert for scammers and imposters:
- Never provide your Social Security number or personal information to anyone initiating contact or claiming to be a company representative.
- Always seek a company photo identification before allowing anyone into your home.
- Never make a payment for services to anyone coming to your door.
- Atlantic City Electric representatives will never ask or require a customer with a past-due balance to purchase a prepaid debit card to avoid disconnection.
- Customers with past-due balances will receive multiple disconnection notices and will never receive a single disconnection notice an hour before disconnection.
How to report a scam:
- If a customer ever questions the legitimacy of a call or visit to their home regarding disconnection of service, they should contact Atlantic City Electric at 800-642-3780.
- Any customer who believes they have been a target of a scam is urged to contact their local police and call Atlantic City Electric immediately to report the situation.
To learn more about preventing scams, visit atlanticcityelectric.com for more tips and information.
