Utility scams in this age of AI: How to spot and avoid fraud
Imagine receiving a call from someone claiming to be from San Luis Valley REC. They say your service will be cut off if you don’t pay them immediately. We don’t do this, but scammers want to scare you into paying before you have time to confirm what they’re telling you. And scammers are now using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to craft frauds that are difficult for consumers to detect. Learn how to protect yourself.
Beware of these common scam tactics
• Disconnection threats: Scammers claim your service will be cut off without immediate payment.
• Caller ID spoofing: Fraudsters use software to make their calls appear legitimate.
• Overpayment claims: They may say you’ve overpaid and ask for personal or banking information to issue a refund.
• Smishing: Scammers send fake text messages that seem to come from your utility company.
• Phishing attempts: Beware of emails that look like bills; always verify the sender’s email before clicking links.
If you have any doubt about the status of your service, call us immediately, 719-852-3538.
Watch for the following red flags
• High-pressure tactics that demand urgent action
• Unusual payment method requests (wire transfer, gift cards, reloadable cards or cryptocurrency)
• Poor grammar, misspellings and suspicious email addresses
AI use enhances utility scams
By leveraging AI-powered techniques, utility scammers can create sophisticated and convincing frauds that are hard for consumers to recognize and avoid.
• AI helps scammers craft convincing emails that appear to be from legitimate utility companies and include the use of company colors and logos.
• Scammers use AI to create realistic-looking utility company websites that are nearly indistinguishable from legitimate ones.
• AI technology can clone the voices of utility company representatives, making phone scams convincing.
• AI analyzes victims’ online presence and social media to create highly personalized spam related to your utility services.
• Scammers create geographically targeted online ads that appear when users search for keywords related to their energy bills.
• Scammers use AI to launch large-scale utility scam campaigns quickly and efficiently.
According to Kathy Stokes, AARP Director of Fraud Prevention Programs, “the ability of AI to improve and scale scam tactics is the equivalent of the Industrial Revolution for fraud criminals.”
When in doubt, contact us
If something doesn’t feel right, stop and verify before taking action. Hang up and contact us directly. Never use a phone number or link provided in a suspicious call, text or email.
Members should also remember that we provide notices before electric service is disconnected and will not pressure you into making an immediate payment using an unusual payment method.
As technology changes, scams will continue to change with it. Taking a few extra minutes to verify a communication can help protect your personal information, your money and even other members of our community.
If you believe you’ve received a scam call, text or email claiming to be from SLVREC, please let us know; call us at 719-852-3538. Sharing that information can help us alert other members and prevent someone else from becoming a victim.
