Scammers are at it again, this time pretending to be CenterPoint Energy. A Houston woman said she caught and reported it before she lost any money.

HOUSTON — Scammers are at it again, this time impersonating CenterPoint Energy to trick residents into paying bogus bills. One Houston woman recognized the scam and reported it before losing any money, sharing warnings and tips to help protect others from falling victim.

Heather Hebert received a phone call from someone claiming to be with CenterPoint Energy, stating she was behind on her electricity bill and threatening to cut off power if she didn’t pay immediately over the phone. The first red flag: the caller mispronounced the company name as “Center Print” instead of “CenterPoint.” When Hebert questioned the charges, the caller quickly gave her another number for the supposed billing department and pressured her to call it.

“They were in an extreme hurry to get me off the phone, um, and just give me the number really quickly, call this number, call this number, you know, and then they gave us very sense of a huge sense of urgency regarding, um, that they were turning the electricity off,” Hebert said.

Hebert, who only receives natural gas from CenterPoint, not electricity, immediately knew it was a scam. She reported the incident to CenterPoint Energy and filed a complaint with the FBI.

CenterPoint Energy emphasizes it will never call customers demanding payment over the phone or threaten service disconnection if immediate payment isn’t made. Customers receiving such calls are advised to hang up and report the scam.

Utility scams like this often use caller ID spoofing to appear legitimate, making vigilance crucial. If you receive a call threatening service disconnection or demanding urgent payment, always verify through official company channels before taking any action.

For more information on how to protect yourself from utility scams, visit CenterPoint Energy’s official resources.

This scam is just one of many targeting utility customers, so spreading the word helps protect the community from fraud.

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