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GREEN BAY, WI (WSAU) — Scammers are hitting Wisconsin Public Service customers this week.
Spokesperson Matt Cullen says they’ve heard of scammers casting a wide net throughout their service area. “Business customers, residential customers, even religious organizations have reported receiving these calls. We are seeing this across all of our customer groups and all across our service area.”
Cullen says an unspecified number of customers have lost more than $10,000 in the last week alone. He says the easiest way to stay off that list is to slow down when someone presses for immediate payment. “Their goal is to get you to act very quickly and without thinking. No matter what type of phone call, email, or text message our customers get, we encourage them slow down and ask themselves, ‘is this something that WPS would actually do? Is there something about my account that might be off?’ The best step that you can take if you’re not sure about the status of your account is to call the number that’s on your WPS statement.”
Cullen adds that WPS representatives will work with you to set up payment plans on past-due accounts or connect you to financial assistance that you may qualify for. “They will never threaten you with disconnection in a very short amount of time. That’s a red flag that a scam is occurring.”
WPS adds that if you think a scammer is targeting you, hang up or close the door. It’s not rude; it’s safe.
Call WPS at 800-450-7260 if you have questions about a call, email, or text you’ve received. Contact your local law enforcement if you’ve fallen victim to a scam.
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