Encourage Customers to Hang Up and Report Scam
Burlington, VT – Vermont utilities are warning customers of a phone scam today. In a sudden surge of calls, the scammers claim to be from a Vermont utility, including Green Mountain Power (GMP), Burlington Electric Department (BED), VGS, Vermont Electric Cooperative (VEC), Vermont Public Power Supply Authority (VPPSA), and Washington Electric Cooperative (WEC), and then demand immediate payment and threaten to cut off power. Your local utilities would never treat its customers in this manner. If you receive such a call, just hang up – it is a scam.
In an effort to inform others about the fake calls, customers started alerting their utilities just before noontime that scam callers are busy working the phones today. Dozens of customers have reported the scam calls so far.
Customers are urged to remember that, if they receive calls like this, they should hang up. Also, we recommend that our customers:
- Do not provide payment or personal information;
- Do not engage with the caller;
- Do not call back that number; and
- Call customer service to report the scam and any details, including the number the call came from, the caller’s name, and what the caller said.
- GMP 888-835-4672
- BED 802-865-7300
- VGS 802-863-4511
- VEC 800-832-2667
- VPPSA 802-244-7678
- WEC 800-932-5245
Customers also are encouraged to report this scam to the Vermont Attorney General’s Consumer Assistance Program at 800-649-2424 (in state) or 802-656-3183 or online at https://ago.vermont.gov/cap/.