Attorney General Kwame Raoul encourages consumers to beware of scammers pretending to be from a utility company and threatening to shut off heat if they do not receive a payment. Raoul said that if consumers are visited by someone purporting to represent their utility company, they should ask to see a company identification card, close the door and call their utility company at the official phone number, which the consumers should verify independently, to ask if someone has been sent to their home. Attorney General Raoul offers the following tips for consumers worried about utility scams:

• Pause: When someone contacts you claiming to be from your utility company and threatens to cut off service if you don’t pay them immediately, pause before you take action. Confirm the facts by logging into your online account through the company’s official website or by calling the company at the phone number listed on the official website or on an old bill.

• Protect your information: Never give out private information, like your Social Security number, usernames or passwords, on a phone call, email, text message or a pop-up chat box.

• Pay attention: Never click on links that were sent to your phone or email from unfamiliar sources.

• Pay carefully: Remember that your utility company will never ask you to make a payment using cryptocurrency, gift cards, or by wire transfer or peer-to-peer apps, like Zelle or Venmo.