Beware of phishing scams again, per the Los Alamos Department of Public Utilities (DPU). Customers have recently reported receiving scam phone calls stating utility payments must be made immediately during the call to avoid disconnection. While DPU may reach out to customers about past due payments by phone, the department’s representatives will never require that payment be made over the phone.
In the calls reported to DPU, the callers identified themselves as representing PNM, the Public Service Company of New Mexico. All Los Alamos and White Rock properties with utilities are served by DPU, not PNM. Similar waves of phishing scams have occurred locally in the past and the cautions remain the same.
“We urge utility customers to exercise caution when answering calls from unknown callers,” said Deputy Utility Manager Heather Garcia. “DPU representatives won’t ask for personal identifiers when making payment reminder calls. Don’t provide personal information such as social security numbers, account numbers or credit card numbers over the phone”
Anyone who is unsure of the legitimacy of a phone call requesting utility payments should hang up and contact the Customer Care Center at 505.662.8333. DPU offers multiple ways for customers to pay bills, including coming into the office or paying online, so customers are not required to give personal or financial information over the phone.
Original source can be found here.
