Deceptive Marketing and Scams
Be aware of bad actors who attempt to take advantage of you by portraying themselves as Duquesne Light, and the actions you can take to report this behavior.
What Deceptive Actions to Look Out For:
- Using computer programs to make phone calls that seem like they are from Duquesne Light. Although your caller ID shows our number and/or name, the call is actually coming from someone else. This practice is called “spoofing.”
- Knocking on your door and claiming to be from your utility company.
- Requesting to see your bill to verify charges.
- Suggesting that a neighborhood has been “red listed” by Duquesne Light, for review of bills.
- Threatening termination if you don’t make a payment immediately, or if you don’t choose a supplier.
Sometimes these tactics are employed by energy suppliers who are not following the rules and regulations around marketing practices; other times they are simply scam artists. It can be difficult for customers to tell the difference. Remember, a reputable supplier will never portray themselves as your utility provider; ask to see your bill; threaten that you will lose service if you don’t choose a supplier; or misrepresent the potential savings. Customers can always see up-to-date and accurate information on retail choice at
www.PAPowerSwitch.com, a website run by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission.
What You Should Know:
- Duquesne Light does not make sales calls or go door-to-door to sell products.
- Under Pennsylvania law, customers have the opportunity to choose their electricity supplier. As your utility, we will deliver power from any supplier you choose. If you do not choose a supplier, we will purchase energy on the market for you. Duquesne Light does not make any profit from default supply. Read more on competitive market here.
- Duquesne Light does not call customers on the day of a scheduled termination for non-payment or ask customers to purchase any type of pre-paid cards.
- We rarely need access inside a customer’s home and, if we do, this work will be scheduled in advance.
What You Can Do:
In the Moment:
- Don’t trust your caller ID. If you are unsure, hang up and call us at 412-393-7100 to verify the call was from Duquesne Light.
- Verify that someone who comes to your door claiming to be with Duquesne Light is an employee by calling us at 412-393-7100. Our employees wear ID badges and generally drive vehicles marked with a company logo.
- If you feel unsafe, call 9-1-1.
After the Incident:
- Report it to Duquesne Light by calling 412-393-7100.
- Report to your local police.
- Report “call spoofing” to your phone carrier (i.e. Verizon, Sprint, etc.), who is obligated to take action under federal law.
- You also can file a complaint with the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General and, for issues specific to energy suppliers/marketers, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission.
Extra Account Protection
If you have been a victim of identity theft or if you simply want to further secure your account information, please call us at 412-393-7100. We will add a password to your Duquesne Light account so that unauthorized parties cannot access your information. From that point on, we will ask you to verify your password, in addition to our standard verification of identity, each time you contact us.