HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Gina Penzig with Westar Energy alerted us by email Wednesday that once again, imposters claiming to work for the electric company are calling with threats to disconnect service and demanding prepaid cards as payment. Several customers have contacted Westar Energy’s Customer Relations Center after receiving suspicious phone calls. In many cases, the imposters are providing a toll-free phone number that, when called, sounds like Westar Energy’s automated phone system.
Imposters are targeting residential and business customers. Frequently the imposters will advise the customer that a payment was not received or was applied to a wrong account and that payment must be made quickly to avoid disconnection.
All Westar Energy employees carry company identification and will readily show it if asked.
Many employees also wear shirts or caps bearing the Westar Energy logo. When in doubt, ask to see Westar Energy employee identification. If someone appears suspicious, call them at 800-383-1183, or call local law enforcement.
Common reasons for Westar Energy employees being in your neighborhood:
Monthly meter readings
Restoring service during power outage
Collection activities before disconnecting service for non-payment
Tree trimming
Meter upgrade
The majority of meters are read monthly to record customer usage. Meter readers operate on a set schedule. To find out when a Westar meter reader will be by to read your meter each month, sign in to my electric account and click on “view meter schedule.” The scheduled read date is generally the same day that your current statement is due.
Collection Activity
Westar Energy attempts to make contact with customers before service is disconnected.
When an account is past due, we mail a disconnect notice along with the current statement. The disconnect notice indicates the date payment needs to be received to avoid interruption of service. From when the disconnect notice is sent, it is approximately 10 business days until we will disconnect service.
A few days before service is scheduled to be disconnected, we will place a collection call. The number that shows up on caller ID will be 800-383-1183. If you are concerned the call is not legitimate, please hang up and dial 800-383-1183.
The service person in the field will knock on the door and attempt to collect before physically disconnecting service. Service persons generally will not enter the home. Payment should be made to Westar Energy. Company employees wear a shirt with the Westar logo, oftentimes have a hard hat, and will not hesitate to show company identification.
Scam phone calls
Scammers are now able to use phony caller ID numbers to target consumers. Using phony caller ID services to spoof numbers, scammers are able to convince victims they are receiving a call from the company calling. Few people think that names and phone numbers appearing on their caller ID screens are not genuine. Unfortunately, all scammers need is Internet access and a few dollars to find a number of services that can supply fake caller ID numbers.
Identity thieves who want to collect information such as your bank account or other financial account numbers, social security number, date of birth or mother’s maiden name, sometimes use caller ID spoofing to make it appear they are calling from your bank, credit card company, or even a government agency.
Tips to avoid being scammed:
Don’t assume the information on your caller ID is always accurate
Never give out personal/financial information over the phone unless you know for a fact whom you are dealing with
Don’t hesitate to hang up the phone and call them
If a customer receives a suspicious call, he or she should report it to the Kansas Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Office at www.inyourcornerkansas.org.