Stay Alert to Scams
Avoid After-Storm Scams
After a hurricane, scammers like fake contractors, identity thieves, and impersonators often prey on victims. Here’s how to stay safe:
Common Scams
- Contractor Scams: Verify licenses at MyFloridaLicense.com and confirm insurance. Avoid large upfront payments and get at least three estimates.
- Tree Removal Scams: Seek multiple written quotes, verify insurance, and never pay fully upfront.
- Water Testing Scams: Avoid "free" water tests. Use verified labs listed by the Florida Department of Health.
FEMA and Government Officials
It can be such a relief to see agents from FEMA or the U.S. Small Business Administration appear after a storm that you may not scrutinize them enough.
Remember, FEMA and SBA representatives always have official photo IDs and will never charge for assistance. Report suspected fraud to FEMA at 800-621-3362 or StopFEMAFraud@fema.dhs.gov.
Email Scams
Think before you click. Email scams are common after a major weather event, and Florida is reportedly the second-biggest target in the U.S. for online scams. Bad actors tend to use email and text scams, posing as someone’s bank, or even as FEMA, and once the victim clicks on a link, their personal information is compromised.
Charity Scams
- Beware of fake charities with similar names to well-known organizations.
- Avoid solicitors who use high-pressure tactics or are hesitant to provide additional information about the charitable organization.
- Consider donating to an established disaster-relief charity.
Utility Scams
If you have been a victim of a scam or were contacted by a scammer, please report it to us and also contact your local law enforcement or Crime Stoppers at 800-873-TIPS.
Your input helps us monitor and counteract scammers and their techniques. If you fell victim to a scam, a Tampa Electric representative will follow-up with you at the phone number or email you provided.
Utility scams are on the rise! Scammers are aggressively targeting utility company customers with sophisticated tactics to pocket quick cash. Tampa Electric has partnered with more than 150 gas, electric and water utilities to stay up-to-date on the most commonly used scams to help you protect yourself.
While scammers are always looking for new tricks, here are their most common tactics:
- The caller pretends to be a Tampa Electric employee and insists your account is delinquent. Caller ID may even falsely display our number and appear to be Tampa Electric.
- The caller threatens to turn off power to your home or business if payment isn’t made immediately.
- The caller demands immediate payment only with a prepaid card or wire transfer and provides a call back number that mimics our customer service line.
- Increasingly, the scammers are asking you to download and use a payment app. Some even request payment through cryptocurrency.
If you suspect a scam phone call – hang up
If you receive a suspicious text – delete it
If you get a visitor without official Tampa Electric identification – shut the door
All Tampa Electric team members and contractors working for Tampa Electric are required to carry photo identification cards. If someone claiming to be a Tampa Electric representative visits your home or business, request to see an ID badge or call the company to verify his or her identity. If you are uncertain about an individual’s association with Tampa Electric, please contact the company for verification at 888-223-0800.
Remember these tips to stop scammers in their tracks:
- Tampa Electric will never call to ask for credit card or debit card numbers.
- Be wary of anyone demanding payment over the phone for a power bill.
- Never give credit or debit card information over the phone.
- Know what you owe. Reference your most recent bill or log into your online account to check your account status.
Imposter websites:
We’ve seen an increase in unauthorized websites that pretend to be Tampa Electric or a third-party payment system for Tampa Electric. Before making any payment, be sure you’re on a legitimate website. If not, scammers may take your money and disappear!
Here are some tips from the Better Business Bureau:
- Look closely at the domain name. If you find a spelling error in the domain name, you’re not on the official site and it’s best to close the tab.
- Watch out for tricky subdomains. Sometimes attackers hope you will confuse a subdomain with the real domain name of their website. For example, a scammer might use the domain name netflix.com.movies.com hoping you won’t notice the real domain name is actually movies.com.
- Check the design quality. Low quality visuals, odd layouts, and poor web design can all be warning signs of a fake website.
- Pay attention to contact information and shop policies. Legitimate online sites should provide a physical address and working phone number in the contact section
- Do a search for reviews and potential scams. If you still can’t tell if a website is real or fake, try typing the website name along with the word “scam” or “reviews” into your web browser. If other people have been victims of a fake site, you’re likely to find reports when you search for scams.
More helpful information about utility scams:
- Common scams and signs - Utilities United Against Scams
- Spoofing scams are spiking – TECO news release
Please share this information with friends, business owners and members of your family, especially the elderly, who are often victimized by scammers.
If you have been a victim of a scam or were contacted by a scammer, please report it to us via the form below and contact your local law enforcement or Crime Stoppers at 800-873-TIPS.
