Entergy Louisiana and Entergy New Orleans will join Utilities United Against Scams this week to recognize Utility Scam Awareness Day on Wednesday, Nov. 19. Utility Scam Awareness Day is an advocacy and awareness campaign focused on helping customers understand the signs of a scam and how to avoid them.
For years, scammers have posed as utility workers or representatives and attempted to steal financial information or obtain immediate payment from customers by threatening to cut off important services. This is known as a utility impostor scam.
The key message of this year’s campaign is “Slow Down, Verify, Stop the Scam.” Customers of all ages and demographics must stay vigilant against utility impostor scams. While advanced digital scam incidents have increased in recent years, in-person and telephone impostor scams are still frequently reported.
To apply this framework:
- Slow down – If a request for payment is unexpected or creates panic, end the conversation. Legitimate utilities will reach out multiple times and offer assistance if a bill is past due.
- Verify – Contact your utility directly using the verified phone number on your bill or the company’s official website to check your account status. Never use a phone number provided by the suspected scammer.
- Stop the scam – Report the incident immediately to your local utility and law enforcement.
“Scammers continue to evolve their tactics, often using urgency and threats to pressure customers into making rash decisions,” said Monica Martinez, UUAS executive director. “The ’Slow Down, Verify, Stop the Scam’ framework is a simple, powerful tool designed to cut through that pressure, giving customers the confidence to pause and confirm any suspicious request before it’s too late.”
Entergy is a member of UUAS, which continues to raise customer awareness of common scams and new scam tactics used by utility impostors. Through its work and with the help of customer reporting, UUAS has successfully helped to take thousands of toll-free numbers used by scammers against utility customers out of operation.
As a reminder, utilities will never ask for payments using a pre-paid debit card, gift card, or cryptocurrencies, and they will provide multiple notices before any service interruptions are implemented.
Customers who suspect that they have been victims of fraud should contact Entergy through their myEntergy account online, the Entergy mobile app or by calling 1-800-ENTERGY (1-800-368-3749). Be sure to have all details and any supporting documents available to discuss the suspicious activity on your utility account with a customer care representative. You should also contact the proper authorities, such as the local police, the state attorney general’s office, Better Business Bureau or Federal Trade Commission.
Visit entergy.com/scams for information and tips on how customers can protect themselves from impostor utility scams.
About Entergy Louisiana
Entergy Louisiana, LLC provides electric service to more than 1.1 million customers in 58 parishes and natural gas service to more than 94,000 customers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
About Entergy New Orleans
Entergy New Orleans LLC is an electric and gas utility that serves Louisiana’s Orleans Parish. The company provides electricity to more than 209,000 customers and natural gas to more than 110,000 customers.
Both companies are subsidiaries of Entergy Corporation. Entergy produces, transmits and distributes electricity to power life for 3 million customers through our operating companies in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. We’re investing for growth and improved reliability and resilience of our energy system while working to keep energy rates affordable for our customers. We’re also investing in cleaner energy generation like modern natural gas, nuclear and renewable energy. A nationally recognized leader in sustainability and corporate citizenship, we deliver more than $100 million in economic benefits each year to the communities we serve through philanthropy, volunteerism and advocacy. Entergy is a Fortune 500 company headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, and has approximately 12,000 employees.
