Depending upon who you ask, we’re living in the golden age of television, technology, innovation and medicine, to name a few.
But we’re also sadly living in the golden age of scams. Think about it: Scams are all around us and it’s not just the Nigerian prince willing to make you rich for a small favor.
Every day on the phone, calls come in marked as “potential scam.” Block them and they just call on a different number.
With email, the potential scams are endless – including scams warning of fake scams designed to obtain account information.
Can you really trust anyone knocking on your door claiming to represent X, Y and Z?
And there are the scams and cons that hit you and you don’t know how. Somehow, my credit card was compromised. I received a new one – and it was compromised within a month even though I had only used it once or twice.
So, what’s a utility to do?
Dealing with scams is a time-consuming headache, but it’s imperative to tackle the problem head-on by utilities.
Your philosophy in dealing with scams is being proactive since your reputation is in jeopardy.
And that means getting the word out to the public any way you can.
If a scam is going around involving your utility, start with a press release and media alert distributed to all your relevant media contacts. That includes outlets that regularly cover you, as well those in your service area that don’t. You should have a regularly updated media contact list.
Keep the release simple. Explain the scam and provide details about how it works. Compare and contrast how the scam differs from your utility’s actual payment policies. Include warnings about things that utility employees definitely don’t do – such as make in-person home visits to discuss bill payments.
Also, provide resources and contact information for people who suspect a scam. Those should include the state attorney general’s office and any consumer protection organizations.
Now follow up. Media members receive tons of press releases and yours could get lost in the shuffle. Confirm that your key contacts have received the information. PR people should call journalists sparingly, but a scam warrants a call.
There are other steps you can take to alert customers to scams.
Include detailed information on your website, including a tab devoted entirely to scams.
A bill stuffer could discuss the topic.
Remind people on your social media channels to watch for scams. Videos explaining what your employees do and don’t do regarding bill payments might be valuable.
Send email alerts to customers.
And hit up the local morning TV and radio shows. Consumer-oriented topics do well with content-hungry programmers.