MICHIGAN — Fake or misleading search results are leading some customers right into the hands of scammers, putting their money and information at risk.
Consumers Energy alerted us to the new scam, saying they've heard from some of their own customers who were asked to pay for an outstanding balance they didn't owe— or were charged a fee to start a new account after finding what they thought was legitimate contact info online.
The company told FOX 17 it's unusual for them to charge anything for starting a new account and all fees and charges will be clearly listed on your bill.
Remember:
- Call Consumers Energy at 800-477-5050, or go to ConsumersEnergy.com for anything regarding your account
- Consumers Energy does not demand specific methods to pay bills, such as prepaid debit cards.
- Go to ConsumersEnergy.com/waystopay to see how you can pay your bill.
Consumers Energy has protocols for keeping your information safe, including transferring callers to a secure system to make payments. Otherwise, they will not ask for your credit card info over the phone.
“We want to get the reminder out to our friends and neighbors to be careful when it comes to your personal information, and not to fall victim to scams,” says Brian Rich, Consumers Energy’s senior vice president and chief customer officer.
If you believe you were a victim of this— or any other— scam relating to your Consumers Energy account by making a payment, call Consumers right away. They are sharing this information with state and federal law enforcement agencies.
If you didn't make a payment, the best thing to do is file a police report.
