FPL has confirmation of a bill payment scam that is actively spreading through social media and word-of-mouth. They believe this is part of a nationwide phishing scam. Scammers are telling customers that a third party, in most cases the Federal Government or President Obama, will pay their utility bill in exchange for their personal information such as social security numbers and personal banking information. Of course, this is false and we have notified authorities including the State Attorney General’s Office and the FBI.
While customers may have received information from friends or the internet instead of the scammers themselves, they urge all customers to never use banking information that is not their own. Unauthorized use of account information is illegal and any payment applied to utility bills will be reversed.
If you think you may have been a victim of this scam, you may contact the authorities listed below:
• Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs
• Financial Crimes Enforcement Network
• Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force
• Federal Trade Commission
Also, customers who use unauthorized banking information to pay their FPL bill will receive a letter stating their payment was invalid and will still be required to pay their bills. For more information on how to protect yourself from scams go to:www.FPL.com/FPLprotect.
Sharon Aron Baron is the Editor of Talk Media and writer for Coral Springs Talk. CST was created in 2012 to provide News, Views and Entertainment for the residents of Coral Springs, Parkland and the rest of South Florida.
