Dartmouth Police warn of scam targeting Eversource customers

DARTMOUTH — Be on the lookout for scammers. The Dartmouth Police Department has teamed up with Eversource to issue a warning about scams targeting Eversource customers.

The scam involves people posing as Eversource employees and threatening to shut off power unless a payment is immediately made.

“Many scammers are successful because they use scare tactics and threats, demanding customers act quickly or face serious consequences if they don’t give money or personal information,” said Eversource Senior Vice President for Customer Operations and Digital Strategy Jared Lawrence in a press release. “These imposters take advantage of the panic someone might feel after hearing, with little warning, that their power will be shut off in the middle of winter."

Lawrence wants to remind customers that Eversource will "never demand instant payment over the phone, require gift cards or other non-standard methods of payment, or request personal information in an unsolicited call, text message, or email."

If ever in doubt, Lawrence recommends hanging up and calling Eversource at 800-592-2000 to verify your account's activity.

“Scammers often pose as representatives of trusted organizations, including utility companies, to target residents —especially seniors — and businesses in an attempt to obtain personal information or payments,” said Dartmouth Police Chief Brian P. Levesque in the release. "To help raise awareness and protect others from such fraudulent activities, I strongly encourage everyone to report these incidents to their local police department.”

Eversource and the Dartmouth Police have provided the following tips to help prevent falling victim to scams:

The most important thing you can remember is when in doubt about an in-person interaction, a call, a text, or an email, call Eversource directly to confirm the validity of the contact.

For more information, visit https://www.eversource.com.