Recent phone scams are targeting PNM customers
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – PNM is warning customers throughout New Mexico to be on the lookout for phone scams during the summer months.
PNM is receiving reports that scammers are adding a false PNM caller ID name on their phone number to get you to answer, or they leave false call-back phone numbers so that when you return the call, you think you are calling PNM, duping you in thinking it is legitimate.
Once they have you on the phone, the scammer pretends to be with PNM, claims you are behind on your bill, and threatens to disconnect your electricity unless you pay with a pre-paid gift card or an online digital payment within an hour or less. While the majority of scammers contact customers via phone, they are also being contacted via email with similar tactics to scam you out of your money.
In 2021, PNM received nearly 1,900 scam reports from PNM customers, with more than 321 reports received in just the month of July. Thus far in 2022, PNM has received over 350 scam reports from PNM customers and is expecting those numbers to rise during the remainder of the year.
Scammers typically target PNM residential customers with the greatest number of targets seen in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Ruidoso. Scammers usually demand between $200-$500 for residential customers and more than $1000 for business customers.
Spikes in scam reports often occur during the summer when there is a high demand for air conditioning. Scam reports show that customers went against their better judgement, reacted out of fear, and overlooked the red flags of the scam explaining they were afraid to be without power during the heat of summer.
What to watch for:
• Scammer has a caller ID that reads PNM
• Scammer may know your name and address
• Scammer will claim you are past-due on your PNM bill
• Scammer will claim a technician is on their way to disconnect your power within 1-hour
• Scammer will demand you pay over the phone to prevent power from being disconnected
• Scammer will only take payment over the phone and will only accept a pre-paid card or an online digital payment such as Zelle
• If the caller is calling at odd hours, the weekend, or on a holiday, it might be a scam.
What to do if you receive a call from a suspected scammer:
• Check the clock and calendar. PNM does not shut off power over the weekend or on holidays and never disconnects power without providing written notice in advance on your PNM bill. Scammers often call outside of business hours or on the holidays, making it harder for you to verify and causing you to bypass red flags by reacting out of fear.
• Don’t take the claims as truth. Firmly tell them you will contact PNM directly using the number on your bill. Review your PNM bill or go online to check for a disconnect notice. Txt #bal to 78766 to get balance information or call 888-DIAL-PNM (888-342-5766) and use our automated system.
• If the caller demands payment by a pre-paid card, gift card, or wiring money, it is a scam. Legitimate companies don’t demand payment by cash reload cards (like MoneyPak, Vanilla, or Reloadit), gift cards (like iTunes or Amazon), online digital payments (like Zelle), or cryptocurrency (like Bitcoin).
• Listen to your instincts. If the caller is convincing but threatening, then simply hang up and initiate contact with PNM yourself.
PNM is working the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) because these fraudsters are using VoIP telecommunication phone lines to scam customers out of money, which is a federal crime. PNM and the FBI are asking New Mexico customers for help by reporting the details of any scammers that may have contacted them to the FBI so the agency can track and analyze them against similar scams and suspects.
Reports can be made at www.ic3.gov. PNM is also asking customers to report the same information by calling 888-DIAL-PNM. Find out more about how you can protect yourself and your business from scams about this scam at PNM.com/scam-calls.
About PNM
With headquarters in Albuquerque, PNM is the largest electricity provider in New Mexico, serving 530,000 customers in dozens of communities across the state. PNM is a subsidiary of PNM Resources, an energy holding company also headquartered in Albuquerque. For more information, visit PNM.com.
This article originally appeared on Deming Headlight: Recent phone scams are targeting PNM customers
