CenterPoint Energy Cautions Consumers about E-mail Scam

CenterPoint Energy has cautioned its customers about an ongoing e-mail scam related to multiple utility. Brainerddispatch.com published this dated January 5, 2014.

It maybe noted that CenterPoint Energy, whose main office is in Houston, Texas, is one utility company associated with natural gas and electricity while catering to many markets in USA.

In the warning, consumers are being made wary of a scam e-mail that tells about a pending utility bill against them.

The company, CenterPoint Energy reports that customers have been saying about getting one electronic mail telling them their bill for using CenterPoint's natural gas could now be viewed online. But on doing so, the company name appears as Atmos Energy having certain A/C number, the so-called amount pending, deadline for payment and one web-link for submitting the payment.

Moreover, Atmos Energy seems to give an alert message via its website. It indicates that the public requires being wary about a scam attacking customers of Atmos' natural gas facility along with other people of many states where Atmos doesn't even practice. The fake electronic mails have a sender's e-mail id that isn't associated with Atmos. These phony billing messages cite one bogus A/C number as also carry web-links to spam.

Incase the cited A/C number doesn't match with the user's A/C number with Atmos Energy alternatively, the e-mail looks dubious then the user is requested not to follow any web-links. Rather he should go to http://www.atmosenergy.com and examine his statement via logging into his A/C. Incase of any queries related to the scam Atmos urges that individuals should use the hotline number of the company for replies.

Meanwhile, just like CenterPoint Energy's case, another energy retailer in Australia namely Australian Power & Gas that recently became target of scammers, had its customers receive fake e-mails during December 2012. Those e-mails captioned "Approved Payment Receipt" informed recipients (customers) about one payment the company got against their Australian Power & Gas account through their credit cards. The payment stood completed, while the receipt details could be seen from a given attachment, the e-mails stated. But, on viewing the attachment, malware got planted onto users' PCs.

» SPAMfighter News - 1/13/2014