PSEG Long Island Urges Customers to Know the Telltale Signs of a Scam

Long Island and the Rockaways may be enjoying the milder spring months, but scammers are still prowling around, impersonating PSEG Long Island and regional utilities and demanding immediate payment. PSEG Long Island urges customers to be aware of scammers’ tactics and to do the right thing when faced with demands for payment and threats of imminent closure: Call 1-800-490-0025 to get the truth from the real PSEG Long Island.

“Scammers do everything they can to create the impression that the problem is urgent and hope you panic and miss all the clues that they are not who they appear to be,” said Lou DeBrino, vice president of client services at PSEG Long Island. “PSEG Long Island wants customers to remember a One simple thing: if someone threatens to cut your power immediately, call the number printed on your bill to verify before taking action.”

PSEG Long Island has received more than 1,200 reports of scam calls so far in 2023. Many of these scammers demand immediate payment through web-based electronic payment services. PSEG Long Island does not accept external, web-based electronic payment services (other than paying through MyAccount) as a method of payment.

What Customers Should Know About Payment Fraud

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  Scammers posing as PSEG Long Island most often threaten immediate power outages unless payment is made.
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  Many scammers use phone “spoofing” techniques, making their number appear as “PSEG Long Island” on your phone.
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  PSEG Long Island will never ask customers to use a specific payment method.
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  Scammers typically want victims to transfer money via web-based electronic payment services, prepaid debit cards or even bitcoin, sometimes asking people to buy a prepaid card at the nearest convenience store and have their PIN read to them over the phone.
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  PSEG Long Island does not accept web-based electronic payment services, prepaid debit cards or Bitcoin as a method of payment.
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  Sometimes phone scammers will ask for a deposit to have the meter installed in advance. PSEG Long Island does not require a deposit for meter installation.
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  If customers have questions about the legality of a call or email — especially one requesting payment — they should call the company directly at 1-800-490-0025.

visit in person

From time to time, scammers may go door-to-door posing as PSEG Long Island employees, presenting fake IDs and/or claiming to be utility collection representatives. Imposters may wear “uniforms” or put false company logos on their vehicles. Scammers will often ask for personal information that genuine utility representatives won’t do, or offer bogus discounts. Again, if a customer has any doubts, that person should not be allowed in and should call 1-800-490-0025 to verify.

PSEG Long Island employees are required to carry a company ID and present it when requested. If a customer is in doubt, do not allow this person into the premises and call 1-800-490-0025 for a customer service representative to verify that an employee has been dispatched to the location. Actual PSEG Long Island employees will respect the client’s decision and stay out. If the person intensifies their efforts to enter the home, the client should consider calling 911.

fake website

Some scammers purchase web domains that closely resemble the actual URL of the utility and create fraudulent copies of legitimate websites. Their plan is to trick users who click on these fake sites through search results or enter inaccurate URLs. Once on the spoofed website, the visitor is presented with a number of bill payment options, all of which lead to an external bill payment website.

PSEG Long Island always uses a “.com” domain.Its real website can be found at www.psegliny.com.

How Actual PSEG Long Island Representatives Handle Phone Calls

Clients should also know what PSEG Long Island will and will not discuss on the phone. A genuine PSEG Long Island representative will ask to speak to the customer of record. If the person is available, the representative will explain why they are calling and provide the account name, address and current balance. If the person on the phone does not provide the correct information, the customer may not be speaking with a PSEG Long Island representative.

If the customer of record is not available, the PSEG Long Island representative will not discuss the account at all and asks to leave a message for the customer of record to call 1-800-490-0025.

PSEG Long Island is a member of the Utilities United Against Scams (UUAS) collaborative. UUAS, a coalition of more than 145 U.S. and Canadian electric, water and gas utilities and their respective industry associations, helped raise awareness of common and new Cause scammers operating toll-free numbers to scam customers.

For more information on the various payment scams reported in PSEG’s Long Island service area and across the country, visit https://www.psegliny.com/myaccount/customersupport/scamsandfraud.

PSEG Long Island

PSEG Long Island operates the Long Island Power Authority’s transmission and distribution system under long-term contracts. PSEG Long Island is a subsidiary of Public Service Enterprise Group Inc. (PSEG) (NYSE: PEG ), a publicly traded diversified energy company.