March 28, 2024
Annapolis, US 50 F

Comptroller warns, BGE will not call you and threaten to cut you off


Comptroller Peter Franchot is warning Marylanders about a phone scam made to Baltimore Gas & Electric customers threatening to cut off utility service if money is not paid.

“These crooks are stoking fear with automated phone calls that sound legitimate, and trying to intimidate recipients into sending money they do not owe,” Comptroller Franchot said. “Do not fall for it. Agents in our Field Enforcement Division are investigating the source of the calls. Customers should remain vigilant and always double-check whether the calls are authentic.”

On Monday, the Comptroller’s Unclaimed Property Section received an influx of phone calls from BGE customers reporting that they had received scam calls threatening to shut off their power if they did not return a call within 30 minutes. Customers were told to send money via fund transfer services to avoid their power being cut.

The automated calls provided an 800 number to call back, but residents’ caller ID indicated it was placed from 410-767-1700, which is the Unclaimed Property Section’s main number. Over a two-day period, the unit received more than 300 calls in reference to the scam.

This type of scam uses “spoofing technology” in an attempt to trick victims that the call is coming from a legitimate source. Anyone who has received such a call should contact BGE at 1-800-685-0123 or consult their website for more information.

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