Police Warn Residents of Electric Company Phone Scam

Andover Police Chief Patrick Keefe would like to alert the community about an ongoing phone scam and remind residents to never give out their information.

The Andover Police Department has received numerous reports over the last couple days from residents stating a representative from their electric company called to ask if they’d like to reduce their bill or get solar panels. Residents from Andover, Westford and Lancaster have been affected by the calls.

To make the call seem legitimate, the number appears as if it’s coming from the Town of Andover. The fake number is 978 475-1212. The Federal Communications Commission describes this as caller ID spoofing. This allows people to deliberately falsify a telephone number and/or name relayed on someone’s caller ID to disguise the true identity of the caller.

“Do not respond to these fraudulent calls,” Chief Keefe said in a statement. “Your electric company would not be calling you to make changes to your bill. Immediately hang up and report the incident.”

Andover Police report that Verizon is aware of the situation and they advise residents to contact the Federal Trade Commission to report these calls. Any residents with concerns or questions should call the Andover Police Department at 978-475-0411.