March is Fraud Prevention Month
March is Fraud Prevention Month and Utilities Kingston is sharing tips to help protect residents and businesses from utility scams.
Our public education program reminds our community that utility customers are targets for scams at the door, over the phone, and through the Internet. When in doubt, don’t be afraid to shut the door, hang up the phone, delete the email, or close your Internet connection. You can always call us to confirm the truth of any sales pitch.
Utility companies across Canada are seeing an increase in callers posing as utility representatives and demanding immediate payment for utilities. Follow Utilities Kingston on Facebook and X to stay up to date on known utility scams.
Customers are reportedly receiving phone calls from scammers using a variety of different numbers. Those contacted are being threatened with having their utility services disconnected if they do not make a payment.
If you receive a suspicious message, text, or phone call:
- Do not provide any personal information, including Utilities Kingston or credit card account numbers.
- Collect any information possible about the caller.
- Contact your utility company directly. Utilities Kingston customers can call 613-546-1181, Monday to Friday, from 8 AM to 4:30 PM.
- Report the incident to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501. This agency collects information on fraud and works closely with police to solve these crimes.
- If you become a victim of fraud through monetary loss, call Kingston Police at 613-549-4660.
Reminders:
- Utilities Kingston does not place calls from, or solicit calls to, a 1-800 or 1-888 number.
- Utilities Kingston requests overdue accounts be paid via Paymentus, its third-party credit card payment provider, or by contacting our credit and collections staff at 613-546-1181, extension 2278.
- Please visit our consumer awareness page for more details.
Fraud Prevention Month is spearheaded by the Competition Bureau Canada. This year’s theme, "20 years of fighting fraud: From then to now" aims to recognize how fraud has evolved over the years, from telemarketing and mail to social media and Artificial Intelligence.