Utility Scam Arrives in New England, National Grid Urges Caution

National Grid is alerting customers to a scam claiming that utility bills will be paid by the federal government or President Obama after sending a social security number and bank routing information.

A press release indicates scam has impacted utility customers in Florida, New Jersey, North Carolina and other parts of the country along with New England, and should not be confused with legitimate low-income utility assistance programs in the Commonwealth.

According to accounts from utility companies nationwide, the scammers may engage solicitation through phone calls, door-to-door contacts, and online methods.

National Grid customers in New England can call 1-800-322-3223 if they believe they are victims of the scam and the company is reminding customers to ask for National Grid ID badges of individuals who are acting suspiciously while claiming to represent National Grid.

The full press release from National Grid is below: 

NATIONAL GRID WARNS NEW ENGLAND CUSTOMERS OF NATIONWIDE UTILITY SCAM

Company Reminds Customers to Verify Identity of Company Representatives

July 3, 2012 -- National Grid is warning customers about a new, nationwide utility bill scam that claims the federal government will pay customers’ utility bills through a new program.  No such program exists, and customers who may be solicited should notify local law enforcement officials to investigate.

Customers have received solicitation through phone calls, door-to-door and online asking them for their social security number and bank routing numbers. Then customers are given fake account numbers to pay their bills. These are fraudulent account numbers and are not accepted by National Gridto pay customer bills.

National Grid reminds its customers that to ensure confidence and security during service calls at homes and businesses, all National Gridemployees are required to carry company photo identification. Most, but not allNational Grid employees also travel in clearly marked National Grid vehicles when providing service to residences and businesses.

The company reminds customers to always ask to see the NationalGrid company ID badge of anyone who says they are from National Grid. If you are in any doubt as to whether an individual is a National Grid employee, tell the person to wait outside and call the National Grid customer service number to confirm.  Customers in New England can call 1-800-322-3223. 

NATIONAL GRID

National Grid (LSE: NG; NYSE:NGG) is an electricity and gas company that connects consumers to energy sources through its networks. The company is at the heart of one of the greatest challenges facing our society - to create new, sustainable energy solutions for the future and developing an energy system that underpins economic prosperity in the 21st century. National Grid holds a vital position at the center of the energy system and it ‘joins everything up’.

In the northeast US, we connect more than seven million gas and electric customers to vital energy sources, essential for our modern lifestyles. In Great Britain, we run the gas and electricity systems that our society is built on, delivering gas and electricity across the country.  

National Grid delivers electricity to approximately 3.3 million customers inMassachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Rhode Island. It manages the electricity network on Long Island under an agreement with the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA), and owns over 4,000 megawatts of contracted electricity generation, providing power to over one million LIPA customers. It is the largest distributor of natural gas in northeastern U.S., serving approximately 3.4 million customers in New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island.

For more information please visit our website: www.nationalgridus.com.