From time to time, we hear about scam artists posing as utility company representatives. The scammers may target customers through door-to-door visits or phone calls.
Always be skeptical if a person calls or knocks on your door claiming to be from the gas company. Peoples Gas employees carry identification
and never go door-to-door seeking personal information.
How you can recognize a Peoples Gas employee:
Since many of our meters are located inside homes and businesses, a Peoples Gas field employee may knock on your door
to provide access to our equipment. You can identify our employees by:
- Safety vests and helmets - all Peoples Gas field employees wear safety vests and helmets with the Peoples Gas logo
- IDs - employees wear IDs with their name, photo and logo included
- Vehicles - Our vehicles are white in color with a blue Peoples Gas logo on the car or truck
Door-to-door scams
Someone impersonating a utility worker may visit your home trying to get personal or account information.
Phone scams
A caller may try to convince you to use a prepaid credit card to make a payment. Common phone scams involve stories that:
- Your account is past due and payment is required to avoid service disconnection.
- Your previous payments were not accepted or processed.
- Your billing cycle has changed and payment is needed immediately.
Email scams
Pay attention to suspicious emails in your inbox. Scammers use emails to pretend to be your utility and request your personal or financial information.
Know how to avoid scams
- Never provide social security or personal information to anyone initiating contact with you claiming to be a utility representative.
- Never make a utility payment to anyone coming to your door, or to another person or entity other than your local utility providers.
- If you have any doubt about the authenticity of a caller, hang up and call us at 866-556-6001 to verify your billing and payment status.
- Always ask to see a company photo ID before allowing utility workers into your home or business. If you have doubts about a person at your door claiming to be from Peoples Gas, call us at 866-556-6001.
If you've been the victim or target of a scam, contact the Illinois Attorney General's office at 800-386-5438 (TTY 800-964-3013) or visit their website.
