A telephone scam in which impersonators pretend to be the Baltimore Gas and Electric company is costing many business owners money, according to WBALTV11.
The scam involves a spoofing technique which allows the caller to manipulate the caller ID to make the number look legitimate. The scammers then call consumers demanding money for overdue payments and threatening to cut off service if they do not pay.
The Better Business Bureau and the BGE have posted warnings to small business owners on their sites to be aware of the scam. The BGE says representatives will never call asking for a payment.
The BBB says the scam is not new to them, but reports of consumers falling victim to it have increased with 15 cases in the past few months. The president of Maryland’s BBB, Angie Barnett, says business owners are falling for the scam because of how it creates a sense of urgency.
Business owners don’t want their services cut off and have a lot to deal with in their day to day operations, so they start to question if they possibly forgot to make payments, says Barnett. Those who pay the scammers often have no way of getting their money back.
