​Watch out for this EVIL Scam!

This episode is a Public Service Announcement.

Yesterday I was on the phone with a friend, my phone beeps, I click over to see who it is and to my surprise it’s a message from Georgia Power saying they are going to cut off lights at 7:00pm.
 
The message continues saying I can call this number or click 1 to speak with someone now.  A “Customer Service Rep” picks up the phone and basically repeats the message saying I must make a payment before 7:00pm.
 
They added if I make the payment through my bank depending on when the bank processes the payment it could take 48 hours to post and your service will have been cut off “However” if I go to a local Western Union and make a payment before 7:00pm it will prevent the service from being cut off.

Meanwhile as I’m having this conversation, I’m walking to my computer to pull up my account. 

In the process I say to the Georgia Power “Customer Service Rep” “wow you guys are doing this to people during Covid 191 he then gets UPSET and YELLS!

“Sir go online and I dare you to find a statute that says you do not have to pay your bill because of Covid 19.”

First red flag because I did not say anything about not paying my bill. 

I ask to speak to a supervisor. 

His manager gets on the phone and apologizes for the previous “Customer Service Rep”

Now I’m in front of my computer.

I ask the guy what is it that I owe and he gives me a number and I say that’s not what my account says, he makes some nonsense statement. 

I then say Nah you’re not Georgia Power he says, YES we are I say nah you’re not!

And he hangs up the phone. 

My next step is to call Georgia Power myself and I share what happened and she says Yes sir we know about this and lots of people are getting caught up in this scam. 

The “Real” Georgia Power Customer Service Rep asks would I mind providing the number they called from etc.

I could see LOTS of people falling for this scam because it was very well orchestrated. 

Even though I thought my bill was paid they created enough doubt by simply calling.  Their good cop bad cop routine! 

You can tell this was crafted with effort.

Here is what you need to understand this was a “Presentation” that was designed to defraud people.

Naturally our goal is to create a “Presentation” that’s designed to HELP people.

The POWER of your voice can help or hurt people.

What these CROOKS are doing is EVIL!  Be on the lookout.

Thank you for attending another episode of Eric’s Escapades.
 
Sincerely,
Eric “They Almost Got Me” Anderson
 
P.S.  emotion trumps logic and if someone gets you emotionally caught of guard it’s easy to make mistakes.  Stay calm!