Seattle City Light warns customers about scammers
Jan 17, 2023, 8:33 AM | Updated: 9:44 am
Pamela McCarroll chats with her friend over the phone in her house in Fairfax, VA on May 7, 2022. Pamela was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2019 and she cant miss doctors appointments. Michael works as a freelance voice actor and he needs to accept random phone calls for client work. (Photo by Shuran Huang for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
(Photo by Shuran Huang for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Seattle City Light is warning customers to be careful who to trust over the phone, as scammers are calling customers posing as City Light employees.
The company says someone is calling customers and threatening to turn off their power if they don’t make a payment immediately.
Snohomish County officials warn of scam threatening property seizure
In order to avoid getting scammed, City Light has a few recommendations about strategies scammers could use against you.
Scammers may:
- Pose as a City Light employee and contact you by phone
- Threaten to shut off power if payment is not made immediately
- Pressure you to obtain pre-paid credit cards or third-party digital apps to make immediate payments
- Target businesses, customers with limited English proficiency, and elderly customers
City Light says they will never call, email, or visit your home when immediate payment is needed. If someone does any of these instead of working with you to create a payment plan, they are probably a scammer.
Please hang up on them and call (206) 684-3000 right away.
SCAM ALERT! We’ve received reports of customers getting calls from scammers posing as City Light. Remember, we will never call, e-mail, or visit your home demanding immediate payment to avoid a shutoff. Learn how to spot scammers here: https://t.co/hGiPnVQlqu. pic.twitter.com/szZnIwQYwI
— Seattle City Light (@SEACityLight) January 17, 2023
