Atmos Energy is warning customers to beware of fraudsters

Jul 4, 2012 09:42 GMT  ·  By

Atmos Energy, one of the largest natural gas distributors in the United States, has issued an alert to warn users about the existence of utility bill scams.

The main goal of the fraudsters behind this campaign is to convince people to hand over personal information such as social security numbers. In return for their details, the victims will allegedly receive stimulus money to pay their utility bills.

The scam is making the rounds in numerous states, being spread via text messages, social media networks and even fliers.

Furthermore, in some cases, the con artists have visited potential victims in person, telling them about the existence of a program in which the president of the United States will provide credit or even directly pay their utility bills.

To make everything more legitimate-looking, in many cases the fraudsters give victims a bank routing number that allegedly has an account which holds the money.

In such cases, the risk of identity theft is fairly high, not to mention the fact that victims could become tempting targets for other schemes.

Atmos Energy warns that the company’s employees always carry identification papers and they never request personal information.

To avoid falling victim to such plots follow some basic rules: - never provide sensitive information when approached on the Internet, or even in person, by someone you don’t know; - when presented with various offers, especially if you are asked for money or private details, check the involved company’s official website; - do a quick search on the Internet - scam victims usually come forward and companies issue advisories; - if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.

Individuals affected by the scam are advised to contact local authorities or the Better Business Bureau. For additional questions, Atmos Energy can be called at 1-888-286-6700.