Posted on 11/14/24
| News Source: WBAL TV
Baltimore, MD - Nov. 14, 2024 - Baltimore Gas and Electric has reminded people to be on the lookout for potential scams.
The reminder comes as several people told 11 News that people are knocking on doors, claiming to be with the company, then asking for personal information about their accounts.
"They had a license. It looked like BGE, and they said, if I get my bill, I get a discount on my energy bill," said a woman named Sandy, who said someone knocked on her door a while ago.
Sandy said BGE eventually contacted her.
"They sent me a letter, and I was OK with the letter and then called them, and then that's when they told me that it was a scam to try to get me to pay more money for my gas and electric," Sandy said.
Jordan Myers said something similar happened to him and that it seemed unusual. He told the person at his door to come back.
"They made a compelling argument for why I should go with their service to lower my bill," Myers said.
In a statement to 11 News, BGE said: "In recent years, BGE and other utilities have seen increased reports of their customers being contacted by scammers who pose as utility workers in an attempt to access their financial information or to obtain immediate payment by threatening service interruptions."
Clay Campbell, a spokesperson for the Better Business Bureau of Greater Maryland, warned people about what they should look for.
"These are either going to be people that are representing a third party and trying to get you to subscribe to their service, their energy service, and saying that they're offering you a discount, or this could be a situation where these people are gathering your information and then using your social security, your contact information, to open up accounts under your name, without your authorization," Campbell said.
Campbell said there are certain things you can do to try and prevent yourself from becoming a victim.
"If you didn't expect someone to come to your door, it might be an imposter -- ask for identification. You can always also call BGE themselves," Campbell said.