A long, long time ago, Saturday Night Live used to run the land shark sketches. The gag was simple. There’d be a knock at the door. A really flimsy excuse. (“Candygram.”) And then, after a little suspicion or a lot, the person would open the door, the “Jaws” theme would sound, and a land shark would lunge through and begin devouring them.

Well, there are still a lot of fins in the water. Only now they say things like “We’re calling about your car’s factory warranty.” Or “respond to this survey to win a prize” (which we’ve warned everyone about before).

And these days, an old “favorite” has been circling Colorado again. The one that basically says “I’m calling about your utility bill. Pay up now or we’ll shut you off.” 

Trust me. That’s not us.

The Colorado Public Utility Commission recently put out a warning that this particular scam and ones like it are back, playing on pandemic fears to make a quick score. The PUC alert calls out:

• The “Disconnection Deception” where someone claiming to be the utility threatens an immediate shutoff if the resident doesn’t pay them right NOW with a prepaid debit card (or credit card, debit card, wiring money – you get the idea).
• The “Contractor Con” where someone knocks on the door claiming that they need to come in to work on the utility meter.
• The “Bogus Bill” where a suspicious email pops up claiming to be a utility bill, maybe even using a version of the utility’s logo.

  They’re basic cons and especially nasty ones to pull during a pandemic, when anxiety may already be running high. Protect yourself by remembering the basics.

• If you didn’t originate the call, never give out personal information. If you think the caller might be legitimate – such as someone informing you of an upcoming repair – look up the phone number and call the vendor yourself to confirm.
• Don’t trust that the number you see on Caller ID is accurate. Scammers and can do “spoof” real numbers to hide where they’re really calling from.
• Legitimate utilities do NOT demand immediate payment over the phone, do NOT specify the form the payment should take, and certainly do NOT give only one warning one hour before shutoff.
• Neither LPC nor NextLight will be sending someone to your home unannounced – especially not during a pandemic!
• You will only be getting an email bill if you’ve previously arranged to receive one (as with most of our NextLight customers). NEVER click on links or open attachments in an email unless you’ve verified the sender – it’s an easy way to install malicious software or redirect you to a phony website aimed at stealing your personal information.

If you’re ever not sure whether a communication came from us, call LPC at 303-651-8386, NextLight at 303-774-4494, or Longmont Utility Billing at (303) 651-8664. We’ll be glad to help.

Remember, never trust a land shark.

Not even the ones with candygrams.