A Houston-area woman is sounding the alarm about a phone scheme so new, even the Better Business Bureau and local law enforcement say they haven’t seen it before.
New utility scheme targets Houston -area residents, tries to gain home access‘I wasn’t part of the decision’: HISD parents react to proposed special education changesThe scene of the incident after the drowning– A Houston -area woman is sounding the alarm about a phone scheme so new, even the Better Business Bureau and local law enforcement say they haven’t seen it before.
The woman, who asked to be identified only as Anne, says a caller claiming to represent a company called “Dynamic Energy” contacted her to say trucks would soon be in her neighborhood checking for high electric usage and weatherization issues, work she was told was tied to the state’s power grid. The caller referenced a company called “ECORP” as the entity running the state’s utility grid — but Anne knew better.
“She said, ‘Yeah, they run the utility grid for the state of Texas,’ and I said, ‘No, that’s ERCOT,’” Anne said. Experts warn AI is making romance scams more convincing than everThe BBB says most utility impersonator schemes stay remote, with callers demanding money or personal information over the phone.
While some scammers do occasionally go door to door posing as workers, a scheme that combines a phone call with a request for home access by scheduling a time is raising new concerns. It also points to a local scammer.
“If they want access to your home, they could be trying to steal items from the inside,” said Leah Napoliello of the Houston Better Business Bureau. KPRC 2 reached out to ERCOT, which confirmed it does not send contractors to private homes. Companies with names similar to those mentioned in the call also said they are not aware of their names being used in impersonation schemes.
‘Deeply concerning’: Klein HS head football coach faces allegations involving ‘misconduct’ from past role in Tomball ISDHang up and contact your utility company using the number on your bill or the company’s official website “If your utility company contacts you out of the blue wanting some type of action, you should treat that with suspicion,” Napoliello said. The BBB warns that schemes are constantly evolving, making it more important than ever to stay alert.
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