NIPSCO is warning customers of a telephone scam, which began targeting customers over the weekend.
They say the scammers are calling businesses and homes from various 800 numbers claiming to be NIPSCO employees. The callers say the customer has a delinquent bill which requires immediate payment or services will be shut off. Some customers have also been asked to buy a money gram or prepaid debit card, before being told to call a different 800 number to make the payment. Others have been given an address for a local NIPSCO facility and asked to make the payment in person.
NIPSCO says it never asks customers who are behind on payment to pay cash or purchase a prepaid debit card. They also say to never call any number other than 1-800-4NIPSCO to deal with their accounts.
Customers are being reminded never to give out personal information if they aren’t completely sure who’s asking for it. NIPSCO says it does ask for Social Security numbers, but only when a customer is applying for a new service or to verify a customer’s identification.
If you’re not sure if a call, e-mail, or other communication is actually from NIPSCO, call 1-800-4NIPSCO to double check, and if you think you may have given your information to a scammer, call 911 and contact your bank or credit card company. For more information, visit NIPSCO.com/StaySafe.
