O&R: Be aware of scammers

Orange and Rockland Utilities, Inc. (O&R) is warning customers to be aware of scams this heating season, as scammers who try to rip off O&R customers study technology and how they can use it to steal money and personal information.

Scammers use personal visits, phone calls, email, texts and other methods to contact customers and trick them into giving up money or personal information. They do not target specific people when looking for potential victims, and all residential and business customers throughout the O&R service should remain vigilant, the company said in a statement.

“Each year, scammers find new and creative ways to steal from people. Fortunately, our customers can empower themselves with tools and information to avoid common scamming practices,” said Janette Espino, O&R vice president of Customer Service. “A customer who receives a request for immediate payment or is pressured to give up personal information can stop the scammer by remaining composed and refusing any requests. Being able to recognize any deceptive tactics will go a long way.”

O&R shares information about scam prevention with more than 150 utilities and trade associations in North America that are members of Utilities United Against Scams. The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners declared the last week in November to be International Fraud Awareness Week.

To avoid scams, the company offers customers the following tips:

* Scammers can spoof caller IDs to make it appear that a call is from O&R. If you’re asked for personal identifying information such as a Social Security Number or date of birth, hang up immediately.

* O&R never calls to request an account number, account balance, payment information, or address. Hang up and contact the company at 1-833-460-7059 if a caller, visitor, text or email asks for sensitive information.

* People trying to pull a scam often try to sell a customer on urgency, such as threatening to shut off service if payments are not made.

* O&R doesn’t solicit payments through prepaid gift cards or cryptocurrency like Bitcoin. Hang up if you’re asked to make a payment through these methods. If you need to make a payment, you can do so safely at oru.com.

* O&R does not accept payment via debit cards or cash apps (like Venmo, Zelle or PayPal). Someone who asks you to make payment through one of these methods is a scammer.

* If you receive an email from someone claiming to be from O&R, check the sender’s address before taking any action. The company’s emails always come from an account ending in oru.com. If the address doesn’t match, don’t click on any links and report it as spam.