HYANNIS – Eversource is advising its residential and business customers to be on the lookout for scammers and third-party suppliers using deceptive marketing tactics.
The utility company, which provides electricity to Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard, is partnering with the National Consumer Law Center and law enforcement in urging customers to report their concerns.
Customers have told the company that when they pick up their phones and open their doors, they find individuals on the other side claiming to be “representatives” or “partners” of Eversource.
“It is definitely becoming a bigger and bigger problem and we’re really trying to get the word out to our customers that we don’t operate that way,” said Eversource spokesman Mike Durand.
The scammers then use aggressive marketing tactics to sell “discounted power” or threaten to turn off electricity unless an immediate payment is made.
These individuals are not affiliated with Eversource in any capacity and are most likely either scammers or third-party suppliers choosing to use deceptive marketing tactics.
“What we’ve been seeing lately is that literally thousands of our customers are contacting us begging us to stop calling them when in fact it is not us,” said Durand.
Eversource customer Gary Lavalette reports seeing individuals targeting utility customers in his South Coast neighborhood.
“This supposed Eversource ‘representative’ went door-to-door to at least twenty homes, including my elderly mother’s, asking to look at customers’ bills to see if they were eligible for discounted power,” said Lavalette.
“When neighbors said they saw the individual getting into a vehicle affixed with a fake Eversource logo, I knew I had to call the police.”
Eversource says that they rarely make unsolicited phone calls and would never solicit door-to-door on behalf of a competitive supplier.
All Eversource employees carry company-issued identification, and any electrical contractors working with the company carry documentation explaining the nature and location of their work.
Customers can always call Eversource to verify this information.
The company has joined with utilities across the country to spread the word out about scams impacting customers nationwide.
“We’re hearing from thousands of our customers who continue to be negatively impacted by these dishonest solicitations,” said Penni Conner, Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Officer at Eversource.
“We urge any customer who feels they have been targeted by deceptive marketers or are the victim of a scam to contact us immediately. Every concern is logged and passed along to state regulators.”
Eversource urges anyone who believes they are a target of improper solicitation to please contact them directly at 1-800-592-2000 in Eastern Massachusetts.
The company tracks customer concerns and reports them to state regulators.
Eversource.com provides more information on how to protect personal information and avoid becoming a victim of utility scams.
Concerned customers can also report scams and fraudulent activity by calling the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Consumer Advocacy & Response Division Hotline at (617) 727-8400.
By JUSTIN SAUNDERS, CapeCod.com Newscenter
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