CANTON -- The St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office is warning of an on going phone scam.

Deputies say the scammers claim to be National Grid employees and want the consumer to go to a local store and obtain GreenDot Money Pak Cards to pay a bill, over the phone.

These utility bill scammers, showing frustrating persistence, continue to target National Grid customers demanding immediate payment for bill balances that customers likely do not owe. The fraudulent callers are claiming to be from National Grid and threatening customers with immediate service shut-off unless they provide payment, credit card or bank account information that can be used to access the accounts.

There have been numerous reports of these types of scams in several states over the past year and National Grid continues to advise customers to be wary of any caller who threatens service termination unless an immediate payment is made. Unsuspecting customers fall prey to these tactics and in some cases give up personal and bank account information.

National Grid does contact customers with past due balances by phone to offer payment options and to remind them that service shutoff is a possibility if they fail to pay their past due balance. If customers wish, they can arrange for a payment by check, credit card, or debit card if they speak directly to a customer service representative. Payment can also be made by credit card or debit card without a representative’s assistance.

Customers should verify they are speaking with a National Grid representative. One way to do this is to have available the last five digits of their National Grid account number and ask the caller to provide those numbers. If the

If you doubt the caller is a National Grid representative, or if have any questions about your balance, hang up immediately and call our customer contact center at 1-800-642-4272.

The Sheriff’s Office and National Grid urges customers to be cautious when speaking with callers and offers helpful tips on how to learn to protect yourself from these scams:

• National Grid will know your account number. Never offer account information to a caller

• Ask the caller to provide the last five digits of your National Grid account number. If the caller doesn’t know your account number and fishes for help, take charge and hang up immediately

• National Grid may ask for a payment over the phone, but will leave the method of payment to the customer

• National Grid will not contact you demanding immediate payment by wire transfer, Green Dot Money-Pak or any other pre-paid card service

• Never, under any circumstances, should you ever offer personal or financial information to someone who you cannot identify

• Be suspicious of callers who you cannot identify. Hang up and call them back if you are uncertain Every National Grid employee carries a photo ID card, and any contractor doing work for the company is also required to carry ID. If someone requesting entry into your home or place of business does not show an ID card, don’t let them in and please call National Grid or your local law enforcement.

• Take charge and remember if a caller doesn’t know your account number and fishes for help, hang up immediately. Customers who believe they have fallen victim to the scam should contact National Grid and local law enforcement officials immediately.

National Grid Contact: Virginia Limmiatis with National Grid at 315-452-7708

St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office: 315-379-2222 or 379-2365