Even your business can fall victim to a scam.
Picture this: You run a packed restaurant and you get a call saying your power will be turned off in 30 minutes. Or you manage a thriving retail store during the holidays and someone walks in with a notice threatening to turn off your utilities. Your first reaction may be to pay what you’re told and deal with it later; this is exactly what the scammers count on.
Utility scammers attempt to scare and exploit those who are unsure of the details of their energy contract. A scam can come from a telephone call, an email or a person representing themselves as an employee for various companies. Collecting money is their main goal! As in the examples above, scammers might catch you off guard, pressure you to act quickly, and claim your service will be shut off if payment is not made right away. The threat of a service interruption, particularly when you might be getting back to pre-Covid operations, can cause panic – and “payments” to be made by mistake.
If you encounter a utility scam, please collect as much information as possible and contact law enforcement as well as Tampa Electric.
Tampa Electric Anti-Scam Tips
Tip 1 – Tampa Electric never demands payment in person or calls to ask for credit card or debit card numbers.
Tip 2 – Tampa Electric does not accept payments through mobile payment apps
Tip 3 – If someone appears at the door of your business or home representing themselves as a TECO employee, all TECO employees have a company ID badge that should be visible
More Utility Scam-Blasters
Know the status of your account. You can view your account through our secure online portal, or by calling the phone number listed on your bill or on our website.
TECO will always validate your account with you. For business customers, this is typically the last four digits of your Tax Payer Id number.
Take the time to educate your key employees so your business doesn’t get scammed in your absence.
