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APS raises awareness of scams during National Consumer Protection Week
Knowing What to Look for Can Protect You and Your Wallet
A knock on the door. An email on your computer. A call on your cell phone. Scammers have many ways to reach you to take your money. As National Consumer Protection Week (March 6-12) approaches, Arizona Public Service Co. (APS) encourages customers to know what to look for and how to avoid being taken.
Spoofing is one common practice to deceive you. Scammers disguise their number to make it appear it is from a known source. In addition to utilities, they spoof the numbers of local businesses, government agencies, even police departments. When you answer, they may threaten disconnection of service within the hour, unless you pay your bill immediately, and often they will demand your bank information or that you pay with a pre-paid debit card. APS will never do this.
Here are ways to protect yourself:
- Never share personal information, like banking/credit card numbers, with an unverified source.
- If someone threatens immediate disconnection of service, hang up the phone, delete the email or shut the door. Customers with delinquent accounts will always receive advance disconnect notification.
- If you are unsure of a caller’s identity, hang up and contact your utility directly. Never use redial or the number provided by the suspicious caller. The only valid phone numbers for the APS Customer Care Center are listed on customer bills and aps.com.
- If you question the authenticity of a person or an email claiming to be from APS, call our Customer Care Center immediately at 602-371-7171.
- If you feel you’re in physical danger, call 911.
Scammers often target vulnerable populations and those on tight budgets. For customers who may be struggling to pay their bills, APS offers payment arrangements, customer assistance or more time to pay through secure ways to avoid disconnection. Customers can check their account status anytime on the APS website or through our care center.
If you believe you’ve been scammed, report the incident to local law enforcement, APS at (602) 371-7171 and the Arizona Attorney General’s Office at (602) 542-5763. For more information, visit aps.com/scams.
APS serves more than 1.3 million homes and businesses in 11 of Arizona’s 15 counties, and is a leader in delivering affordable, clean, and reliable energy in the Southwest. The company is committed to serving customers with 100% clean power by 2050. As owner and operator of Palo Verde Generating Station, the nation’s largest producer of carbon-free electricity, and with one of the country’s most substantial renewable energy portfolios, APS current energy mix is 50% clean. With headquarters in Phoenix, APS is the principal subsidiary of Pinnacle West Capital Corp. (NYSE: PNW).
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