CHICAGO (WREX) — ComEd and the Better Business Bureau are warning of scammers using online payment networks that have tricked customers out of thousands of dollars in January.
ComEd says they have gotten more than 240 reports of scams from their customers, a more than 150% increase from one year ago. The scammers have taken more than $27,000 in just the one month.
“The ease of using mobile pay apps has made the process of scamming customers more efficient for imposters,” said Melissa Washington, ComEd’s Chief Customer Officer and Senior Vice President of Customer Operations. “As scammers alter their schemes, ComEd will be there to alert customers of the latest attempts to con them out of money and personal information.”
In the scam, ComEd customers are usually called, but sometimes contacted by text or email, and demanded to pay a certain amount to an account or face immediate loss of service.
The scammers tell the customers to pay through payment networks like Cash App, QuickPay, Venmo and Zelle, which, according to the BBB, have higher transaction limits than pre-paid cash cards.
Dennis Horton, Director of the Rockford Regional Office of the Better Business Bureau, says that scammers are using the newer technology to exploit unsuspecting victims.
“Along with impersonating utility representatives, there are fake calls and emails from the IRS,…
