May 15th is National Senior Fraud Awareness Day, and Florida Power and Light has a few tips for avoiding common utility scams — which may take the form of fake websites, suspicious phone calls, or fraudulent door-to-door salesmen.
FPL spokesperson Bianca Soriano says to only use FPL’s official communication channels, and ignore anyone claiming to be from the utility if they’re demanding payment.
“Any unsolicited call or door knock is likely a scammer wanting to solicit your personal information. Don’t feel pressured to answer that call or to provide information to someone at your door, instead call the number on your FPL bill.”
More tips from Soriano include:
- Avoid searching online for phone numbers. To contact FPL, call the number on your bill.
- Don’t trust caller ID. Scammers can manipulate the name to appear to be FPL.
- Hang up on suspicious callers. FPL will never demand immediate payment, ask customers to pay through banking app Zelle or via gift card or threaten immediate disconnection.
- Delete suspicious texts or emails asking for payment or personal information.
- Shut the door and call the police if a visitor without FPL identification tries to collect payment or aggressively sells you any products.
If someone suspects they’ve been targeted by a utilities scam, Soriano says they should immediately report it to FPL, local law enforcement, and, in the case of a phone or digital scam, the Federal Trade Commission.
The official website for Florida Power and Light is FPL.com.
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