Evergy is proud to join United Utilities Against Scams to recognize today as Utility Scam Awareness Day, Wednesday, November 20.
Scammers are becoming more deceptive thanks to technology. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reports scammers used phone, in-person, and online tactics to cheat customers out of more than $10 billion nationwide last year. That’s a $2 billion increase over the previous year. The FTC reports that email scams were the biggest contact method for scammers, especially when they pretended to be a business or government agency.
Recently, Evergy customers were targeted through scammers posing as Evergy employees claiming the company would offer discounts for immediate payments, as well as another scam where callers also posed as Evergy employees falsely claiming the utility was returning $200 to senior citizens through the Evergy’s Kansas Cares Fund.
Scammers also use fake websites, fake phone numbers, fake QR codes and more to steal money.
Evergy is urging customers to stay vigilant, know the signs of commonly attempted scams and ways to protect themselves:
- Fake Websites – Watch for fraudulent websites that look like Evergy’s. Always ensure you are paying your directly bill through the Evergy website at evergy.com.
- Fake Caller ID Displays – Never give out personal/financial information over the phone if you’re unsure who you are speaking to. You can verify account information online or by calling the Evergy Customer Contact Center (in the Evergy Metro and Evergy Missouri West area at 1-888-471-5275 and in Evergy Kansas Central at 1-800-383-1183).
- Disconnection Threats – Beware of threats of disconnecting utility service if you don’t provide immediate payment. Scammers will often claim Evergy will disconnect within an hour. Evergy will not shut off service without multiple notifications prior to disconnection.
- Gift cards and third-party payment apps – Evergy will never call or send someone to a residence or business asking customers to pay via third-party payment apps like Cash App, Venmo or Zelle, nor will Evergy ask customers to pay with gift cards.
- In-person impersonators – Verify the person is with Evergy by asking to see company identification or by calling the before giving out any personal information (credit card, debit card, Social Security, Evergy account number, checking or savings account numbers). Evergy workers will also be wearing Evergy-branded clothing and driving a clearly labeled company vehicle.
If you have encountered suspicious activity or an attempted scam, call Evergy or report the scam immediately at www.evergy.com/reportscam. Suspicious activity should also be reported to local law enforcement. More information about scams, including reporting fraudulent calls, can be found here.
