How to Spot a Phony Electricity Salesman

Pennsylvania's top prosecutor wants people to protect themselves from "overly aggressive and dishonest sales pitches" from people claiming to sell electricity either door-to-door or over the phone.

Attorney General Kathleen Kane's warning comes a week after police in Wilson cautioned residents about men claiming to work for UGI.

"In some recent incidents, sales people have been pushing consumers into choosing high-cost electric generation services," Kane said in a news release. "We encourage consumers to make sure they have carefully weighed the offer, and that they are dealing with legitimate energy suppliers before sharing account information and agreeing to switch providers."

Kane offered these tips to residents:

When dealing with door-to-door sales:

• Utilities do not normally come to your door, unless you have called them.
• Ask for identification.
• Call the utility company to verify if they have a salesman in the area ? especially if the person claims to be a utility representative needing to get inside your home.
• Supplier representatives are required to prominently display a photo ID showing their name and the name of the supplier for whom they are working.
• Suppliers will only need your account information when you are ready to make the switch.

When dealing with telemarketers:

• Ask for the name of the supplier.
• Ask for the price and other terms and conditions. Know and understand how it compares to your utility price.
• Only share account information over the phone if you are ready to make a switch.
• Do not feel pressured to make any decisions over the phone or immediately.

In the Wilson case, police say two men knocked on the door of a home on the 2200 block of Ferry Street on March 12 saying they were from UGI and wanted to help the residents save money on their gas bill.

When they asked to see a copy of the most recent bill, the residents became suspicious and told the men to leave.

The men were both black and spoke with Jamaican accents, police said. They wore yellow hats and had UGI tags around their necks, although UGI later told police the men were not their employees.

Earlier the same day, a man came to a home on the 800 block of Miller Street, telling the 89-year-old occupant he was a state water inspector and that the home's water was contaminated.

Police say the man turned on faucets on the first floor and the basement and claimed to perform tests on the water. He told the resident he'd be back, but never returned.

Nothing appeared to be missing from the house. The man—Hispanic, in his mid-30s and wearing a dark shirt and pants—had an ID badge that said "state inspector."

Police remind residents to call utilty companies if they are suspicious of workers, or to contact the police themselves. Earlier this year, men claiming to be water workers robbed a woman in the borough.