Arvada Police Warn Of Fake Xcel Energy Scams

ARVADA, CO -- Arvada police said residents have been filing complaints about fake Xcel energy phone and impersonation scams. Xcel reported that scammers claiming to be from the energy company were contacting customers by phone, email and in person, threatening customers with their power being turned off if they do not immediately send money. The company also said scammers tell intended victims their account is past-due and demand payment via a prepaid debit card such as a Green Dot card. Another scam is to claim the customer has overpaid their account and they need a bank account number to deposit a refund.

Xcel published an emergency phone number to call if you are contacted by someone claiming to be an employee of Xcel Energy. If someone allegedly from Xcel calls after work hours or on weekends, that's a sign that they may be a scammer, the company said.

If you have any doubt about the authenticity of someone claiming to be with Xcel Energy and asking for payment, we recommend that you hang up and call Xcel Energy Customer Service at 1-800-895-4999 or our Business Solutions Center at 1-800-481-4700* (M–F, 8 a.m.–5 p.m).

Some of the scams including contacting customers with fake job offers, to trick them into divulging personal data, the Xcel website said. Xcel Energy accepts job applications only through the website jobs.xcelenergy.com.

For more information on common Xcel scams, see the company's website.

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