Enmax teams up with 80 utility companies to promote scam awareness

Enmax is linking up with more than 80 other utility companies across North America to more effectively get the word out to customers about phone and door-to-door scams.

The Calgary utility company is joining Utilities United Against Scams, a forum aimed at sharing information and best practices for protecting customers.

It's a major problem, with more than 150 business and residential customers reporting incidents since January 2015, said Enmax spokeswoman Doris Kaufmann Woodcock.

• MORE CALGARY NEWS | Man who killed high-school student at party pleads guilty mid-trial
• MORE CALGARY NEWS | Nenshi slams 'dangerous possibility' of Alberta retroactively changing electricity contracts

"Thankfully, most have not fallen prey, but those who do typically face heightened pressure to acquiesce," she said.

"We've heard of scammers threatening restaurant owners with disconnection right before their busy dinner rush, or intimidating individuals who have sensitive medical equipment in their home to pay up immediately or lose their medical support."

Enmax says perpetrators are difficult to track down, particularly with phone scams that often come from overseas.

There are a few sure-fire ways to spot a scam:

• With the exception of meter readers, Enmax does not send employees door-to-door.
• Enmax does not offer furnace sales and servicing.
• Enmax does not threaten imminent disconnection. "We will always work with customers whose account is in arrears to establish mutually agreeable payment arrangements," the company says.
• Enmax does not take credit card payments over the phone, and 'loan' type payment options such as MoneyMart are not accepted.