Putnam Sheriff Advises Residents of Power Company Scam

Putnam Sheriff Kevin McConville is advising residents of recent reports of a phone call scam. County residents are receiving automated phone calls from New York State Gas and Electric or Central Hudson, claiming they will shut off power in thirty minutes due to an unpaid balance. The message directs intended victims to call a number to speak to a representative.

These calls are a scam. NYSEG and Central Hudson would never shut off power via an automated call, and state regulations prohibit such actions. Instead, they will contact you by mail and attempt to work out a payment schedule before shutting off power. The power companies currently do not accept Venmo, Cashapp, or Zelle for payments. They will also never ask for payment via gift cards, nor will they ask you to hand over large sums of cash to a courier or for you to disguise the money and put it in the mail, FedEx or UPS.

If you receive such a call, hang up. You can check with your provider by calling them directly: NYSEG – (800) 572-1111; Central Hudson – (845) 452-2700 or (800) 527-2714.

To report phone scam calls, call the Sheriff’s Office at (845) 225-4300.

Remember. If someone shows up at your house and claims to be an NYSEG or Central Hudson employee, they should have their credentials displayed. If you don’t see the credentials, you should ask to see them and should not speak with the unknown person until their identity is verified.

This is a press release provided by the organization. It has been lightly edited and is being published by Examiner Media as a public service.

Rick Pezzullo

Rick has more than 40 years’ experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, running the gamut from politics and crime to sports and human interest. He has been an editor at Examiner Media since 2012. Read more from Rick’s editor-author bio here. Read Rick’s work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/pezzullo_rick-writer/