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National Grid is alerting customers across New York about a rise in scam attempts targeting both residential and business users. The utility company reports that scammers are using increasingly sophisticated tactics to defraud customers.
According to National Grid's recent advisory, scammers are contacting customers and threatening immediate service disconnection without prior notice, demanding payment even when accounts are current, and requesting personal information including account numbers.
"If you are dealing with someone over the phone, please note that National Grid representatives will know your account number," the company stated. "Never offer that information to a caller."
The scam attempts come in various forms. Some scammers visit homes claiming to be National Grid employees, while others use phone calls with caller ID spoofing that displays "National Grid" on victims' phones. Fraudsters are also using email and text messages to trick customers.
National Grid emphasizes that all legitimate employees carry photo identification cards with the company logo. When receiving suspicious calls, customers should ask the caller to provide the last five digits of their National Grid account number as verification.
"National Grid may ask for a payment over the phone, but will leave the method of payment to the customer," the company explained. "National Grid will never contact customers demanding immediate payment by wire transfer, Green Dot Money-Pak or any other pre-paid card service."
Local reports from Utica indicate the scams are affecting communities throughout the region, with both residential and business customers being targeted.
For those receiving suspicious communications, National Grid recommends hanging up immediately and contacting the company directly through official channels or reporting the incident to local law enforcement. Customers can also report fraud attempts to the Federal Trade Commission.
Legitimate National Grid text messages will come from specific numbers: service notifications from 59528, outage alerts from 64743 (NGRID), and payment reminders from 647432 (NGRIDC).
The company has created a dedicated scam alert webpage with additional information on how customers can protect themselves from these fraudulent activities.