Nancy Rivera of Brooklyn uses an electric spinal cord stimulator to manage what can be unbearable back pain.
“This has to be charged at all times,” she said of the medical device.
That is one of the many reasons why Rivera needs her electricity. When she got a call on a Saturday morning from a number that showed up as Con Edison, she answered right away.
“He said to me, this is Con Edison. We’re calling about your light bill. The technician is on his way to your house to turn off your lights,” Rivera explained.
The man on the phone told Rivera her account was overdue – she needed to pay $298.97 within one hour or her electricity would be shut off.
“He had my address! He had my account number, he had my name, my full name,” she recalled.
Payment would only be accepted by a prepaid GreenDot MasterCard. So she went to the nearest Walgreens, purchased the prepaid card, called him back and told him the numbers on the card. Rivera thought it was over.
“Little did I know,” she said.
Her phone rang again. It was ConEdison. This time, a different man’s voice told her she had been given the wrong information in the first call. Now, she owed more.
“And he says the service man is still on his way to your house,” she said.
Hours later, she made a second trip to buy a prepaid GreenDot card for $498.97.
Frustrated by the inconvenience of having to pay nearly $800 in what she thought was a Con Edison billing error, she went to Con Edison Monday to complain in-person.
“That’s when I found out I was scammed,” she said.
“Unfortunately, it’s very common. We get dozens of complaints per week,” said Allan Drury, spokesperson for Con Edison.
This year, 1,454 complaints of impostor scams have been reported to Con Edison. About 21 percent of those people lost money.
The State Division of Consumer Protection also receives complaints. One complaint was lodged in 2017 and 19 this year. The average loss is $1,000.
“I’m on disability. It is a lot of money for me,” said Rivera.
The Division says if you get a call, email, or text from someone claiming to be the utility company and threatening disconnection for an unpaid bill, do not engage. Instead, call the utility’s customer service line.
Con Edison is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-75-CON-ED.
“A big red flag is if you’re asked to put money on a prepaid card. We do not take payment by prepaid card. So if someone asks you for that, that is a scam,” said Drury.
Like most targeted with utility scam, Rivera will likely not recover her money.
“It’s sad to be without your money and its worse when you have to work so hard for it,” said Rivera.
