Atlanta Gas Light provides tips for customers to protect themselves during Utility Scam Awareness Week
ATLANTA – Nov. 17, 2020 – Atlanta Gas Light is joining 130 U.S. and Canadian energy companies Nov. 16-20 for a weeklong campaign to expose the red flags of a scam and show how customers can protect themselves.
“Impostor scams cost consumers $667 million in 2019 alone, according to the Federal Trade Commission,” said Pedro Cherry, president and CEO of Atlanta Gas Light. “With more customers conducting personal business online due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, this year it is particularly important that people know how to identify the signs of a scam.”
In recent years, scammers have expanded their schemes into digital spaces, such as email and social media. Atlanta Gas Light strongly encourages customers to be skeptical if anyone:
- Threatens to cut off their natural gas service if payment is not made within a short timeframe
- Requests that payments be made from a single method, such as a debit card or checking account
- Claims they have overpaid and their banking account or credit card number is needed for a refund
- Informs them of a need to vacate their home so that a meter or other natural gas equipment can be replaced
- Suggests on social media that their bill will be covered by a charity after they make a partial payment by way of a wire transfer
Atlanta Gas Light holds itself accountable to customers and communities it serves, which is why it reminds Georgia marketer customers that it will never contact them regarding their natural gas bill. While Atlanta Gas Light maintains the pipeline infrastructure, respond to emergencies and read meters every month, it does not bill customers directly. Only natural gas certified marketers in Georgia sell natural gas to customers and subsequently bill these customers for natural gas usage.
Customers who suspect or experience fraud should contact local authorities, and then call the customer care center phone number listed on their marketer billing statement. And, customers who want to confirm that an Atlanta Gas Light representative is scheduled to perform work at their premise should contact our customer care center at 800-427-5463.
In addition, whenever an Atlanta Gas Light field service representative or one of its contractors visits a customer’s home or business, they will provide Atlanta Gas Light identification. And, as an additional safety measure to protect customers, anyone who signs up to receive our Keep Me Informed appointment status text messages can access a photo of the technician assigned to perform work at their property.
For more information, visit atlantagalight.com/fraudprotection and follow us on social media @atlantagaslight and join in the conversation #StopScams.
Atlanta Gas Light is one of four natural gas distribution companies of Southern Company Gas, a wholly owned
subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO). Atlanta Gas Light provides natural gas delivery service to more than 1.6 million customers in Georgia. In operation since 1856, the company is one of the oldest corporations in the state. For more information, visit atlantagaslight.com and southerncompanygas.com.
Southern Company Gas is a wholly owned subsidiary of Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE:SO), America’s premier energy company. Southern Company Gas serves approximately 4.2 million natural gas utility customers through its regulated distribution companies in four states with approximately 700,000 retail customers through its companies that market natural gas. Other nonutility businesses include investments in interstate pipelines, asset management for natural gas wholesale customers and ownership and operation of natural gas storage facilities. For more information, visit southerncompanygas.com.
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Media Contact:
Mekka Parish
c: 404-387-8067 | msparish@southernco.com
