CHARLESTON, W.Va. — There’s a new phone scam that’s targeting homeowners in West Virginia.
The West Virginia Office of Energy (WVOE) is warning people of a scam where callers are claiming to be from a legitimate power company, including West Virginia Power Company, Appalachian Power and FirstEnergy, and are offering to perform free in-home services that are funded through federal grants. Scammers then will ask people for personal information like the victim’s full name and home address. This information could then be used to commit crimes like identity theft.
Energy officials encourage homeowners to ask for information like the name of the company and a phone number to call back later if they are skeptical about the legitimacy of the caller. A business license number can also be cross-checked on the Secretary of State’s website, sos.wv.gov.
“If the caller cannot provide their company’s West Virginia business license and details about the grant funding the project, it is likely a scam,” says Nicholas Preservati, director of the Office of Energy. “You should never give out personal information over the phone without first making sure the call is legitimate.”
There is currently no grant providing free service of this kind for West Virginia residents. The Office of Energy says they will inform the public of any such initiatives in the future.
More information about WVOE’s current and pending projects can be found at energywv.org.
Those that believe they’ve been a victim of a scam should contact the Attorney General Office’s Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-800-368-8808 or visit ago.wv.gov.