Be Wary of Scam Emails and Texts

We've noticed a recent increase in scams sent via email or text message, especially those that pretend to come from someone you know. Please be skeptical, and verify by phone or in person before taking any action!

One particular email making the rounds purports to come from a friend, relative or supervisor, claiming to need a quick favor that often involves money. These emails are frequently sent from an email address that seems legit but isn't (your supervisors' actual address is The.Boss@Workplace.com, but the email is sent from TheBoss123@gmail.com, e.g.), or from a phone number that's not in your contact list. Sometimes it's not easy to verify the sender, so consider taking some precautions:

• It's never a good idea to share personal information over phone or email, especially banking, credit card and social security numbers.
• No reputable company, especially utilities, will ever ask you for your account information or passwords in an email or over the phone.
• Be extremely suspicious of any request that "needs to be done right away," that "must be kept confidential," or from someone who says, "I can't take any calls right now, so just go ahead and do this."

As with everything on the internet these days, verify before you act. Place a phone call or make a visit to confirm the request is real and not a scam!