SAN ANTONIO – CPS Energy is warning customers about an increase in scam calls.
John Moreno, spokesperson for CPS Energy, said if a customer is getting a phone call from someone claiming to be an employee and threatening to disconnect service, the call is a scam.
"We don't call and threaten our customers that we're going to disconnect them," Moreno said. "Two, we don't collect monies at the door. Three, we don't ask you to call an 800 number to make a payment."
Moreno said some red flags are when a caller asks a customer to call back with their debit card or a prepaid card number, or if they claim to be “on their way.”
Moreno said the number of customers receiving these calls from September to October is up by 250%.
“So far, in 2019, scammers have successfully stolen nearly $48,000 from both residential and commercial customers, so this is a serious issue,” Moreno said.
He said scammers have been able to duplicate the CPS Energy phone number. He said customers may see the utility company’s name and number on their caller ID, but they still need to be wary.
“That is one of the ways that scammers are being successful, because customers believe they are receiving a call from CPS Energy,” Moreno said.
Customers who received scam calls are asked to report them to their local police department and CPS Energy at 210-353-2222.
