PECO sees more scams during the winter. Here’s how to avoid getting duped

Instead, take the time to verify that the request is legitimate, by logging into your online account or calling your utility directly. If a person is at your door claiming to be with your utility, ask to see a photo ID.

Other red flags include a request to pay your utility bills with cryptocurrency or gift cards, Brubaker said.

Any claim that your service will be terminated unless you pay immediately is likely fraudulent, because Pennsylvania utilities are required to provide a 10-day notice to customers before terminating their service. Pennsylvania utilities also cannot terminate low-income customers for nonpayment during the winter months without permission from the PUC.

Scammers often take advantage of the current situation, Hagen-Frederiksen said. This can mean offering supposedly cheaper energy options when prices are high, or promising to reconnect you faster during a power outage if you pay a fee.

“Disregard the story that they’re telling, because the story will change,” Hagen-Frederiksen said. “But in general the mechanism for the scam is going to stay the same: They either want access to your house, because they’re trying to steal your stuff, or they want access to your financial information because they’re trying to steal your money.”