O&R Reminds Rocklanders That Scammers Are Out to Get You
M.C. Millman
As November 16 is Utility Scam Awareness Day, Orange & Rockland (O&R) is participating with over 150 energy and water companies in marking the day by sharing reminders to customers to beware of scammers.
Scammers make a daily effort to contact Orange & Rockland customers. Customers who are asked to make a direct payment to avoid a service shutoff should regard that as a red flag. It signals a scammer at work as O&R does not contact customers to demand immediate payment.
Common scams include when a customer is called and instructed to buy a pre-paid card. Scammers can even make an O&R phone number appear on the caller ID display to further convince a resident of their identity. As O&R does not accept payment via pre-paid debit cards, Cash App, Venmo, Paypal, bitcoin, Zelle, MoneyGram, or similar transfers, this should be regarded as a clear scam.
Scammers might also knock on a door and request access to the home to steal or assault the resident. O&R reminds Rocklanders to always request company ID and to call 1-877-434-4100 to confirm that the person is indeed an O&R employee.
Customers should never provide callers with personal information, including social security numbers.
Another trick widely utilized by scammers is to claim that the payment did not go through and demand another payment. O&R has gotten reports of customers providing multiple payments and losing thousands of dollars to a convincing scammer.