Scam Awareness

Avoid becoming a victim of a utility scam by taking the following precautions:

• Never provide Social Security numbers or personal information to anyone who contacts you claiming to be a utility representative or requests that you send money to another person or entity other than your local utility providers.
• Always ask to see a company photo ID before allowing any utility worker into your home or business.
• When in doubt, check it out. Be skeptical of individuals wearing clothing with old or defaced company logos. If you have any doubts, ask to see a company photo ID.

Common Red Flags

• The scammer, pretending to be a company employee, often becomes angry and may tell you that your account is past due, and service will be shut off if a large payment isn’t made — usually within less than an hour.
• The scammer instructs you to purchase a prepaid debit or credit card to supposedly make a payment to Chesapeake Utilities, Sandpiper Energy, Florida Public Utilities Company, Chesapeake Elkton Gas or Sharp Energy.
• The scammer asks for the prepaid card’s receipt number and PIN number, which gives them instant access to the funds loaded to the card.