ABD’de New Phone Scam Alert: They Know Your Bill...

Beware of Those Who Pretend to Call from the Electricity Company and Demand Payment!

In the U.S. state of New York, scammers using the names of electricity companies are attempting to gain trust by claiming they know customers' personal and billing information. According to a CBS New York story dated October 21, 2026, Steven Weinstein, the founder of a company, was called and told that his electricity would be shut off. When the caller correctly supplied his debt amount and customer account number, Weinstein began to believe the person was truly calling from the company.

They Made a $500 Payment

According to Weinstein, the caller on the phone said the electricity would be shut off that same day and demanded payment. In response, Weinstein made a $500 cash payment at a 7‑Eleven store. The scammer continued the conversation on the line, claiming the transaction was complete and that a confirmation document would be sent. When the expected document never arrived, Weinstein contacted the electricity company PSEG Long Island directly and learned he had been defrauded.

How Do Scammers Obtain Account Information?

PSEG Long Island said it could find no evidence that customer accounts or company systems had been compromised after the incident. The company's asset‑protection specialist Robert Vessichelli noted that identity thieves can access invoices and personal data by checking mailboxes. Vinny Minhas of Corsearch, a firm that combats online identity fraud, also pointed out that scammers can learn customers' debt information by examining discarded invoices.

The number on the phone screen can appear exactly as it is

Cybersecurity experts say that scammers can make the phone screen display the genuine company's number by using the “caller ID spoofing” technique, which imitates the called party's identity. Therefore, seeing, for example, an electric company's or a bank's number on the screen does not prove that the call actually comes from that organization. Expert Jeremy Alicandri notes that scammers can mimic trustworthy-looking numbers using this method and that people can easily believe they are speaking with a real institution.

How to Protect Yourself From Scammers?

Experts advise caution when receiving calls from unfamiliar numbers that demand immediate payment. If the caller says the electricity will be cut off, there is a problem with your account, or you must pay right away, end the conversation. Then verify the situation by dialing the number listed on the company's official website yourself. Do not make payments over the phone, and do not share your account details, passwords, or verification codes.

PSEG Long Island says it will call customers who have not paid within a day, threatening to cut off electricity. One of scammers' most common tactics is to create a sense of urgency, pressuring people to pay without thinking.