NEWARK, N.J. (CBS) — Public Service Electric and Gas Company, New Jersey’s largest utility, is warning its customers about a scam that targets small businesses.
The utility company says individuals misrepresenting themselves as PSE&G employees are calling customers and threatening to turn off electric and gas service if payment is not made that day with a pre-paid card.
READ MORE: CBS3 Pet Project: As Halloween Approaches, Remember Not All Dogs Will Enjoy Wearing Costumes“This is an old scam with a new twist,” said Greg Dunlap, vice president of Customer Operations for PSE&G. “Now some scammers are imitating PSE&G’s interactive voice response system prompt menu, so when customers call them back, they hear something similar to what they would experience if they called PSE&G’s customer service line.”
READ MORE: AIDS Walk Philly, Region's Largest HIV Awareness Event, Underway At Art MuseumWhen a fake representative answers the line, they ask for the number on the back of the pre-paid card, according to PSE&G. After the scammers have that number, the utility company says they can take the money from the card, usually within a matter of minutes.
“The number of calls we’ve received from customers alerting us to this scam has increased significantly in the past several weeks,” Dunlap says.
MORE NEWS: Religious Leaders Putting Faith Into Action To Stop Gun Violence In PhiladelphiaWhen in doubt or if suspicious in any way, PSE&G urges customers to call the number listed on their bill: 1-800-436-7734.
