Look Out For ‘Slammers’ Promising Lower Utility Bills

Our sister site, South Slope News, recently reported on the issue of “slamming” in the area. “Slamming” is the practice of switching utility suppliers without the customer’s knowledge or duping them into a bad deal, according to the Daily News.

Often these scammers come to apartment buildings and knock on individual doors trying to convince residents that they can lower their utility bills.

We have heard that it may be happening in our neighborhood, too.

Con Ed has been aware of the situation for some time, and offers the following advice to their customers:

Anyone approached by someone claiming to be from Con Edison should ask to see identification. If you still have doubts, call 1-800-75-CONED to confirm the person is a company employee. If you think you have been a victim of a scam, call your local police department.

Be alert if a telephone caller asks you to arrange for any pre-paid debit card as payment for your bill, or to send money to an out-of-state address. Never arrange payment or divulge account or personal information, including debit or credit card information, over the telephone, unless you are certain you are speaking to a Con Edison representative.

Bob McGee, spokesperson for Con Ed told South Slope News that, “we won’t have people showing up to your door asking to see your Con Ed bill. And you can always ask for identification.”

New York State Department of Public Service has a complaint line set up for this particular issue. You can reach them at 1-888-697-7728.

Let us know if you have recently had any experiences with “slammers” in the neighborhood.