Scam Awareness

STOP SCAMS

Kissimmee Utility Authority customers are being targeted by impostor utility scams each week. Scammers typically use phone, in-person and online tactics to target customers, they can even manipulate caller ID to make it seem as if the call is coming from KUA.

Signs of a Scam

1. Threat to disconnect: The impostor utility representative aggressively tells the customer his or her account is past due and service will be disconnected if a large payment is not made.
2. Request for immediate payment: The caller instructs the customer to quickly purchase a prepaid debit card-widely available at retail stores.
3. Request for prepaid debit card information: The caller asks the customer for the prepaid debit card’s number, which grants the caller instant access to the card’s funds.

Types of Scam

1. Phone: The caller aggressively instructs you to quickly purchase a prepaid debit card because your account is past due. A tactic known as “Caller ID spoofing” allows scammers to manipulate the caller ID so that the call appears to be coming from KUA. Hang up and call 407-933-9800, if you ever have doubt about the legitimacy of a call that appears to be coming from KUA.
2. In-person: The impostor utility representative might attempt to gain access to your property for an immediate or future burglary. Others might ask you questions to gather personal information for identity theft, or they may insist on your need to purchase a costly device to ensure your service. Remember to always ask for proper identification!
3. Internet: Scammers posing as utility companies often utilize phishing, the fraudulent practice of sending emails to steal your money or obtain your personal information. Delete all suspicious emails that require immediate action to verify or demand personal information. KUA will never ask you for personal information through email.

What to Remember

Do not communicate or interact with suspicious phone calls, emails, or text messages.

Do not give a call or visitor cash, a prepaid card, wire transfer, or any form of payment difficult to trace. Our agents will never ask for that.

To ensure you’re truly speaking with KUA, hang up and call the phone number on your KUA bill.

If you were a victim…

• Report scams to KUA at 407-933-9800. Through our partnership with Utilities United Against Scams, KUA has been able to disable more than 150 toll-free numbers that scammers utilized to have customers call them back on.
• File a complaint with the FTC (online or at 877-382-4357) and report it to your state’s consumer protection office or utility commission.

Resources

• If you were a victim of these scammers, file a complaint with the FTC (online or at 877-382-4357) and report it to your state’s consumer protection office or utility commission.
  
• Utilities United Against Scams is a consortium of more than 150 U.S. and Canadian electric, water, and natural gas utilities (and their respective trade associations) dedicated to combating impostor utility scams by providing a forum for utilities and trade associations to share data and best practices, in addition to working together to implement initiatives to inform and protect customers.
  
• The National Do Not Call Registry gives you a choice about whether to receive telemarketing calls.