I’ve been seeing a lot of posts on social media lately about scammers saying they are from Avista and demanding payment. Scammers are getting more and more creative every day when it comes to getting either your money or your personal data. One of the great tools on Avista’s website is how to identify a scam.
There are many common varieties of scammers: they post fake jobs, they call customers and demand payment, often in the form of a prepaid card, with the threat of shutting off power, they even show up at people’s doors.
It’s important to know what to do if you think you are being scammed. It is easy to lift Avista’s logo from its website and spoof one of its emails to customers. Make sure that when you receive an email from Avista demanding payment using high-pressure tactics that you check the email address it is coming from. Don’t click on any of the links, open any of the attachments or send over any of your personal information.
Worse, some scammers are showing up at customer’s doors, demanding payment. They may even look legitimate by carrying a walkie-talkie, wearing a hard hat and an orange safety vest. All Avista’s employees and contractors carry photo ID from Avista. Please ask to see it before you give the person any money, information or let them into your house.
If you feel like you are being scammed, make sure to call (800) 227-9187 to check and see if it is real. Take note of the phone number the scammer is calling from if you receive a phone call. Avista works to get these numbers disconnected. You can also email Avista about the problem.
Scammers may be out there, but if you recognize the signs you can avoid being taken in.
Lisa, an Avista customer, bought her 1910 house because she loved the old-world character, some of which doesn’t make her house very energy efficient. Lisa is sharing her experience on taking some simple do-it-yourself improvements to inspire others to do the same. You’ll find her stories right here every Tuesday.