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A lineman works
“We’re on our way to cut off your power,” a man claiming to be from Entergy told the Beaumont woman answering the phone. “You are in arrears and if you don’t get this taken care of before I get there, I’ll have to turn off the electricity to your home.”
Temperamental Texas temperatures necessitating heat or AC at a moment’s notice aside, this Beaumont Entergy customer was home on leave following back surgery, and a row with the electric company wasn’t something she was prepared to undertake while healing.
“I usually don’t even answer numbers I don’t know, but this one was from a local area code and I was expecting a call from the bank,” she said. The man on the other end of the line was straight to the point, very official-sounding. “He said, ‘This is Mark with Entergy. We’ve got an interruption service order for your address.”
“He knew my name. He knew my address,” the complainant told The Examiner. But, what really made the call seem legitimate, she said, was the fact that “Mark from Entergy” didn’t ask for her to give him any money.
“He said he was giving me the heads-up so I could get it fixed,” she said. “Then, he gave me an 800-number to call Entergy myself to check on this supposed bill.”
And call she did.
“Please listen to the whole menu as options have changed,” a tele-serve menu bot advises callers to the (800) 634-1633 number the woman was provided. According to “Mark from Entergy,” the number would get her through to the accounts receivable department. There was elevator music, a brief wait to speak with a representative, and a subsequent connection to someone claiming to be from Entergy Texas.
“The guy said he’s with Entergy, ‘Can I help you?’” she detailed about the conversation that seemed more and more legitimate the longer she explored the situation. She knew she paid her bill, but could something have gone wrong with an online payment? Something with her bank account? “I told him I don’t think I owe a bill and asked to see what he’s looking at that shows that I do.”
Then she was forwarded to a “supervisor.”
“He transfers me to another guy and this person is very aggressive,” she said. “He said, ‘We’ve got multiple orders on you. You haven’t paid your bill in four months.’
“Then he wants to verify he’s speaking to the ‘account holder.’ He said he knew all about these bills I owed, but then he now needs to get my information.
“He said that I called him. I said that they called me.
“Then, he said: ‘Why don’t you wait until our technician gets there and turns off your lights, and then we can talk.’”
Instead of talking to the “Mark from Entergy” and his associates again, however, the complainant instead contacted Entergy via a verifiable phone number and alerted the media of the latest scam hitting Southeast Texas.
When the newspaper called the (800) 634-1633 number the Beaumont Entergy customer was provided, the tele-service listed instead as Con Ed. Still boasting elevator music, a “wait” for a customer service representative and a friendly and helpful attendee answering the line, the call service was instead prepared to hear from clients from New York, according to the phone worker.
Explaining this call was from Texas, serviced by Entergy Texas, the newspaper reporter was forwarded to a woman “supervisor” who explained that Con Ed and Entergy were the same company. Unable to give either company’s correct name or affiliation, the “supervisor” terminated the call upon being asked minor follow-up questions as the legitimacy of the alleged bill owed.
Allie Payne, a real Entergy representative, said these types of scams are constantly evolving – as are Entergy’s efforts to keep their customers safe from would-be thieves. In the scenario listed above, Payne suggests hanging up and following up with Entergy via online access or by calling 1 (800) ENTERGY (368-3749).
“It has come to our attention that there has been an unfortunate rise in scammers attempting to take advantage of our customers,” Payne explained. “At Entergy, we put the safety and well-being of our communities at the forefront of everything we do, and we want to ensure we are providing the most current and reliable information regarding scams to help keep you, and your information, safe.”
Payne offered tips for those who suspect they are the victim of a scam: “If the suspected scammer is present and you feel you are in immediate danger, call 911 as soon as possible. Contact Entergy to speak with a company customer service representative. Inform your bank or financial institution, who may then direct you to other protective measures.”
As always, never give out banking information by email or phone.
“Entergy does not demand banking information by email or phone or force you to pay by phone as your only option,” Payne shared. “Never give out personal information such as your Social Security Number or Entergy account number to an unsolicited caller. Entergy will never call you to request personal information over the phone.”
Additionally, Payne added, Entergy does not cut off service without considerable advance warning, and does not demand or accept gift cards (such as iTunes or Amazon), cash reload cards (such as MoneyPak, Vanilla or Reloadit), or cryptocurrency (such as Bitcoin).
“Scammers are becoming more elusive and convincing, especially in the digital age. While we continue to do everything within our power to stop these unfortunate circumstances, we need our customers to be informed and on the lookout so they can protect themselves as well,” Payne offered on behalf of Entergy. “Our latest information regarding scams, including recent trends, can be found by visiting entergy.com/scams.”