#StopScams: Utility Scams Awareness Day on November 15

The holidays are fast approaching and amidst the busyness of the season, it’s important that our small business customers stay vigilant about scams. Scammers become more active during this time, targeting people who may be busier and more distracted by the holidays.

Scammers impersonating utilities use a wide variety of different scam tactics. And on Wednesday, November 15, Utility Scams Awareness Day will seek to educate and warn utility customers about some common approaches. This annual campaign is hosted by Utilities United Against Scams, an organization dedicated to raising awareness about utility scam tactics that includes more than 140 U.S. and Canadian utilities and their respective trade associations.

To help #StopScams, it is important to recognize the signs and know what to do when you are faced with a potential scam. During this Utility Scams Awareness Day—and all year long—keep in mind:

•    Scammers may target you via the internet or email, over the phone, or even in person.
•    Scammers may target your business during busy times to try to pressure to you into acting quickly.
•    We will never call you to threaten immediate shut-off of your electricity and/or water.
•    We will never ask you to make a payment to a live representative over the phone, using a prepaid credit card, via a cash app like Zelle or Venmo, or in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies.
•    Do not provide personal or account information to callers claiming to be LADWP representatives. If our representatives call, they will have the account information they need.
•    Always ask to see a photo ID when someone comes to your business claiming to be an LADWP employee. Our staff and contractors carry company ID badges showing their name, photo, and ID number.

If you are ever in doubt, don’t hesitate to contact us directly at 1-800-DIAL-DWP.

If you have been the victim of a scam, please do the following, as applicable:

•    Report it to law enforcement
•    Contact your financial institution(s)
•    Verify your credit with the credit bureaus

If you have been the target of a scam, you can also complete our online scam reporting form here, which enables us to gather scam information to identify patterns and trends. For more resources on utility scams, please visit ladwp.com/scamalert.