Recently, many people in Ho Chi Minh City have received calls and text messages informing them of their electricity debt from individuals impersonating electricity industry employees, asking customers to access unofficial websites to 'pay their electricity bills'.
The electricity industry recommends that customers should be vigilant against calls, messages, and emails that show signs of fraud and verify information through the electricity industry's customer service application or hotline. In the photo: EVNHCMC customer service staff are answering customers' questions - Photo: HUU HANH
Ho Chi Minh City Electricity Corporation (EVNHCMC) said that the situation of impersonating electricity industry employees to call customers for the purpose of fraud is happening more and more with sophisticated tricks, potentially causing damage to people and recommends that people be more vigilant.
Beware of scammers impersonating electricity industry employees
Mr. Bui Trung Kien - Deputy General Director of EVNHCMC - said that recently, the situation of impersonating the electricity industry to defraud customers has become widespread when all member electricity companies have received complaints from the people.
According to many customers' feedback, scammers often impersonate electricity employees, reporting on issues related to the electricity sector to lure customers into "fraud traps".
First , the subject informs the customer that they owe a large amount of electricity, requires immediate payment to avoid power outage, or informs the customer that they have entered the wrong name or account number.
Second , these subjects inform that the power system is having problems, asking customers to provide personal information or make money transfers to fix the problem.
Third , impostors also announce and introduce fake promotions, asking customers to access strange links or download malicious applications to receive incentives.
There are even many cases of people calling the leaders of electricity companies and the leaders of Ho Chi Minh City Electricity Corporation to inform them of... electricity debt and requesting them to come to 35 Ton Duc Thang (EVNHCMC headquarters) to pay the electricity bill.
According to Mr. Kien, the common point of this form of fraud is that after impersonating the electricity industry to contact customers, the scammer will make friends via Zalo, send strange links and ask customers to access to fill in information.
Although the electricity industry has not recorded any customer losses, Mr. Kien said that following the scammers' requests will put customers at risk of having their phones hijacked, losing money in their accounts, or facing other security and safety risks.
Therefore, Mr. Kien recommends that customers need to be vigilant with calls, messages, and emails that show signs of fraud and absolutely do not provide personal information or bank account information to anyone, as well as verify information with the electricity industry through official channels such as websites, installing customer care applications, contacting customer care hotlines... before making any transactions.
"Customers need to be more vigilant and proactive in protecting themselves from increasingly sophisticated scams. The electricity industry has also sent a document to the police agency to report and request an investigation to limit this scam situation," said Mr. Kien.
Advertising "super energy-saving" devices is booming but they actually... consume more electricity.
Responding to a question from Tuoi Tre Online about the widespread advertising of "energy-saving" devices on many websites that can reduce monthly electricity bills by 70-90%. EVNHCMC leaders affirmed that these devices are ineffective and even consume more electricity.
Accordingly, the electricity industry has discussed with professional units, the results show that these devices are ineffective, consume electricity and pose a risk of fire and explosion, and do not ensure information security when transmitting interference.
Therefore, the electricity industry recommends that people do not use floating products that have not been verified or inspected by authorities to avoid "losing money and getting sick".
Regarding the situation of boarding houses increasing electricity prices for tenants in violation of regulations, EVNHCMC leaders have requested all member units to review, receive information and handle cases of illegal electricity price increases for tenants.
Organize many customer appreciation activities
At the announcement ceremony of the "Customer Appreciation Month" program on the afternoon of December 5, EVNHCMC said that this program will take place in November, December 2024 and possibly January 2025.
The electricity sector will focus on ensuring safe and stable electricity supply and improving customer service quality. The electricity sector will show gratitude and give gifts to industrial production customers and large electricity users who have actively participated and coordinated with power companies to shift production hours to off-peak hours... in 2024.
In addition, the electricity industry will implement new power supply programs, support repair, inspection, maintenance, free consultation and guidance on customers' electrical systems; Free meter installation, transformer station cleaning for businesses, support transformer testing for customers.
EVNHCMC also cooperates with banks and payment intermediary organizations to implement customer care activities such as giving bonus points and vouchers for preferential services.
For the social security program, the city's electricity sector will organize activities to donate solar power systems, scholarships, and gifts to heroic Vietnamese mothers and poor households...
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/mao-danh-nhan-vien-nganh-dien-bao-no-tien-goi-lua-ca-lanh-dao-nganh-dien-tp-hcm-20241205165546594.htm
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