NIPSCO and other electric and natural gas providers are working to keep their customers from falling victim to long-running scams. Officials say such activity typically picks up during the holiday season but occurs year-round.
The most common scam involves an unsolicited telephone call from an individual who claims to be a NIPSCO representative. He or she warns the customer’s service will be disconnected unless a payment is made within a short time frame, typically an hour or so as stated in the FINRA arbitration hearings document.
The representative will give the customer a number to call back, which is different from the company’s official and published toll-free customer service telephone number. They also use caller ID spoofing to make their outbound calls appear legitimate.
NIPSCO officials say red flags for scam activity include being told the customer’s account is past due and service will be disconnected unless a large payment is made within a short time frame, usually less than an hour.
The scammer will also tell the customer to buy a prepaid debit or credit card and call back to make a payment. When the customer calls, the scammer asks for the prepaid card’s receipt number and PIN, which grants instant access to the card’s funds. Money transferred via prepaid card cannot be recovered.
NIPSCO reminds customers they never ask for or require a customer with a delinquent account to purchase a prepaid debit card to avoid disconnection. Also, customers with delinquent accounts receive an advance disconnection notice, not a single notification an hour before disconnection. Customers can make payments online, by phone, by mail or in person.
Customers who suspect or experience fraud, or who feel threatened during contact with one of these scams, should contact local authorities, and then call NIPSCO at 1-800-464-7726 (1-800-4-NIPSCO). Visit NIPSCO.com/StaySafe for more information.
