January 2018 Albuquerque Scam Alert

09 Jan January 2018 Albuquerque Scam Alert

PNM Calling to Cut Off Your Power – Albuquerque Scam

This scam is designed to catch you off guard and to put you in “pay in panic” mode. The scam targets business owners who typically have high utility bills. They identify themselves as the PNM shut off crew, and they will require payment over the phone. They alert you that the power (water, gas) will be shut off immediately if you don’t pay your bill and the crew is being dispatched immediately. This is a complete scam. Shut offs by law require multiple notices and a longer aging. Collections are handled by mail.

Never pay someone over the phone who is contacting you. Same principal applies to emails that you didn’t ask for. Never click on a link or provide financial information over the phone. We verified that PNM would never demand money over the phone. The process of shutting off your utilities is difficult and paper intensive for the utility. Don’t get caught off guard, social engineering scams are on the rise. They startle you and try to catch you off guard. A similar IRS collection scam also continues. They call you and tell you the Sheriff is coming to arrest you if you don’t pay your tax bill. Again, the IRS will send you mail to collect, and the Sheriff is a County elected official with no jurisdiction in Federal matters.