NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Scam calls can sound very convincing.
Dominion Energy spokeswoman Bonita Billingsley-Harris says over the last few months, there’s been an increasing number of customers getting these scam calls.
“One of the ones I’ve heard recently is they’ve actually [taken] a real recording from our Dominion Energy message and they play it for people to make them think it’s a legitimate call when it really isn’t,” Billingsley-Harris said.
The scammers are learning how to get away with taking your hard-earned money.
“The scam artists, they pick up a bunch of [prepaid cell phones] and they call people and tell them to call back to that phone number, and once that number’s reported, they throw it out and get a new one,” Billingsley-Harris said.
But the more you know, the less the scammers will be able to get away with it. Billingsley-Harris says there are a few things you can do to keep yourself from falling victim, and that includes just hanging up on the caller.
“If you’re in doubt, when someone calls and sounds suspicious and you paid your bill and they’re saying you haven’t, hang up and call our customer service number,” Billingsley-Harris said.
If you’ve received a threatening message, that’s another red flag.
“We don’t ever threaten people that if you don’t pay you’ll be disconnected. We will work with you multiple times to help you pay your bill. You’re not going to get a call out of the blue,” she said.
She says they will not ask you for your personal information. They already have your information on file.
She says if you can, write down the phone number and report it to police and Dominion Energy.
