Hazlet Police Issue Scam Alert

Hazlet police said they continue to receive reports from residents who have been targeted by con artists claiming they are collecting overdue electric bills.

Police and Jersey Central Power & Light say they want to warn residents about the scam.

“In many cases, the customer is told to pay using a pre-paid debit card, such as a Green Dot/MoneyPak card, a money transfer service like Money Gram or Western Union, or in person at a physical location,” according to a JCP&L alert.

The scammers often use Caller ID spoofing software that leads customers to believe they are receiving a call from JCP&L. In other cases, the con artists provides customers with a fake “verification” phone number, which may exact replicas of the greetings and hold messages of JCP&L’s Contact Center.

JCP&L said residents should remember:

• “If your account is past-due, you will receive a written notice of your account status, with instructions on how to avoid disconnection of service.
• “While our representatives may call a customer whose bill is in arrears in order to remind them that a payment is due, the representative would explain how a payment can be made using our established payment options.
• “They will not demand a payment over the phone or at a particular physical location.
• “JCP&L does not accept prepaid debit cards or wire transfers as payment, and our representatives will not demand your bank information or credit card number over the phone.”

If you get a call, hang up immediately. Anyone who has been a victim of this scam, should call police or the state Attorney General’s Office. For more information and tips, visit the Scam and Fraud Information section on the FirstEnergy website at www.firstenergycorp.com/scaminfo.