UES Reminds Customers to Protect Themselves from Ongoing Scams

TUCSON, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--UniSource Energy Services (UES) reminds customers to protect themselves

from scammers who claim to work for UES and try to solicit payments

using phone calls, text messages and letters.

UES is joining utilities across North America this week in a campaign to

prevent long-running scams that target customers of electric, gas and

water utility service providers. Scammers have contacted dozens of UES

gas and electric customers over the past year.

Here’s how the scam works: Callers who claim to work for UES attempt to

steal customers’ money by threatening to disconnect service for unpaid

bills or damaged electric meters. They tell customers to make payment

over the phone with a pre-paid money card within a limited amount of

time to avoid shut off. In some cases, callers instruct customers to

bring a money order or cashier’s check to a local pharmacy. In others,

scammers contact customers via text message or even registered letter.

Some scammers use ID spoofing software that disguises phone calls or

text messages to appear as though they’re coming from UES. The callers

may pressure customers to make large payments within a short amount of

time by using an angry or urgent tone of voice.

Customers should simply hang up, delete or ignore such communications.

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UES does not employ the methods used by these scammers to collect

payments.

UES only contacts customers by phone with automated bill payment

reminders as a courtesy. Also, the company never urges customers to

purchase pre-paid money cards to pay a monthly bill. A complete list of

legitimate payment methods, including payment online and by phone, is

available on UES’ website at uesaz.com.

Customers with questions about their bill or concerns about the issues

described above are welcome to call UES’ Customer Care team at

877-837-4968.

UES provides electric service to approximately 93,000 customers in

Mohave and Santa Cruz Counties. The company also provides natural gas to

approximately 150,000 customers in Northern and Southern Arizona. To

learn more, visit uesaz.com.

UES and its parent company, UNS Energy, are subsidiaries of Fortis Inc.,

which owns utilities that serve more than 3 million customers across

Canada and in the United States and the Caribbean. To learn more, visit fortisinc.com.

Contacts

UniSource Energy Services

Joseph Barrios, 520-884-3725

jbarrios@uesaz.com