CLEVELAND, Feb. 8 – Milder temperatures bring with it the potential for an increase in scam activity door-to-door, by phone or via text. Dominion Energy is reminding customers to stay vigilant in the face of the upcoming changing seasons.

“Scammers never seem to take a day off. We continually hear about new ways scammers are approaching our customers to get their sensitive information,” said Bob Metzinger, general manager of Customer Service at Dominion Energy Ohio. “It’s important for everyone in our service area to understand how we work with our customers so they can keep their information safe and help stop these criminals.”  

Know the warning signs of a utility scam:

1. Dominion Energy will never demand payment with a credit or debit card by phone or ask a customer to wire a transfer, send a money order or buy a prepaid or gift card to pay a utility bill.
2. Dominion Energy does not call and threaten service disconnection if a customer does not make a payment immediately.
3. Utility scammers are known to falsify their caller ID to make it appear the call is from a Dominion Energy customer service number. When in doubt, hang up.
4. Utility scammers often target small businesses and threaten service disconnection during peak business hours to instill fear and a sense of urgency.
5. Customers should not allow individuals claiming to be Dominion Energy employees to enter their homes without proper identification, an appointment or a reported emergency.

What to do if customers receive a suspicious call:

• Hang up. Do not provide account, payment or any other personal information.
• Verify. Scammers do not typically know the customer's account balance. Customers can verify their account balance and payment due date online or on the Dominion Energy app.
• Ignore. Do not respond to suspicious emails or text messages. Do not click on links or attachments prompting energy bill payment.

For more scam prevention tips, visit DominionEnergy.com.

About Dominion Energy
About 7 million customers in 15 states energize their homes and businesses with electricity or natural gas from Dominion Energy (NYSE: D), headquartered in Richmond, Va. The company is committed to providing reliable, affordable, and increasingly clean energy every day and to achieving Net Zero emissions by 2050. Please visit DominionEnergy.com to learn more.

Media contacts:                                                                                                                  
Stephanie Moore, 330-690-9422, or Stephanie.E.Moore@DominionEnergy.com