Consumers Energy officials are alerting customers to a rise in scam attempts. The latest scams involve impersonators threatening to disconnect service unless immediate payment is made.
Customers have recently reported receiving phone calls and emails from scammers spoofing company numbers, insisting that payments be made with gift cards or prepaid debit cards.
Officials with the utility say they never demand payments via gift cards.
Customers are directed to a secure online payment system for legitimate transactions.
Anyone who receives suspicious contact is advised to hang up and call Consumers Energy directly at 800-477-5050 or visit ConsumersEnergy.com.
You can also call that number if you feel you’ve fallen victim to the scam.
The best way to avoid being scammed is to avoid giving sensitive personal and financial information over the phone or via email to someone who makes unsolicited contact.