Someone came to my door claiming to be from my energy company. They asked to see my bill to switch me over from brown to green energy. I showed them my bill, and they took some info from it. They then sent me a text with a link that they clicked on right away. I closed the link before it loaded.
I know it wasn’t the best decision. I plan to contact my energy company to make sure my plan stays the same, but should I be worried about anything else or take extra steps to protect my data?
Just keep a close watch on your accounts. It’s worth remembering that your energy company already has your bill info, so why would they need to see it? Always be cautious with anyone asking for personal info.
@Murphy
I wish I had thought of that before handing over my bill. I’ll definitely be more careful from now on and monitor my accounts closely.
This might be a case of ‘slamming,’ where your service is switched without consent. You should check with your energy company to make sure no changes were made. You can read more about slamming here and here.
@TransparentTalk2
Thank you! It sounds exactly like slamming. I’ll call my energy company tomorrow to make sure nothing was switched.
ScamVictimSupport1 said:
@TransparentTalk2
Thank you! It sounds exactly like slamming. I’ll call my energy company tomorrow to make sure nothing was switched.
It might take a day or two for the switch to show up, so keep checking.
It’s possible they were trying to switch your energy supplier. While that’s technically legal, it can lead to higher costs after an initial discount. Sometimes, though, it’s done without your consent (called slamming). I’d recommend calling your energy company and asking them to put a hold or lock on your account to prevent any changes.
@Ainara
Thanks for the advice. I didn’t know this could happen. I’ll call first thing in the morning to see if they can help me lock my account.
ScamVictimSupport1 said:
@Ainara
Thanks for the advice. I didn’t know this could happen. I’ll call first thing in the morning to see if they can help me lock my account.
People who do this stuff are the worst. Hopefully there’s a special place for them!
For the future, not answering the door is usually your best option. If you do open the door, you can say something like, “I’m not doing business today. Please leave me some info and I’ll look into it later.” It keeps you from getting pressured into making a decision on the spot.
@ScamSleuth
That’s solid advice! You’re not obligated to give out any info to a random person at your door.
learnbotit said:
@ScamSleuth
That’s solid advice! You’re not obligated to give out any info to a random person at your door.
Exactly. Sometimes, the best response is no response at all.
learnbotit said:
@ScamSleuth
That’s solid advice! You’re not obligated to give out any info to a random person at your door.
Or just yell ‘go away’ without opening the door. Works every time!
They were likely after your account number to switch your energy supplier without your consent. It’s a shady practice, and often the new supplier will charge way more. You should contact your energy company ASAP to make sure your account hasn’t been changed.
@Mark
Exactly! Scammers do this all the time to hike up your bill.
A few takeaways for you and others:
You’re not required to answer the door or give out information to strangers.
Learn to say “no” and mean it. Don’t worry about hurting someone’s feelings. Protect yourself.
Don’t give your phone number or click on links from random people.
Trust your gut. If something feels off, it probably is.
@Lilnim
I love this! Saying ‘no’ and setting boundaries can prevent so many scams. It’s something I had to learn the hard way too, but it makes a huge difference.
We had something similar happen. Someone came by offering a gift card and said my husband needed to sign for it. A few months later, our bill doubled because they had switched us to a different energy provider without us realizing. I had to call to get it fixed. Definitely call your provider right away!
I always tell people we’re just renting. That way, they leave us alone since they know I can’t make decisions about the house.
DavidHazel4 said:
I always tell people we’re just renting. That way, they leave us alone since they know I can’t make decisions about the house.
I just tell them to leave. Works every time.