AARP, originally known as the American Association of Retired Persons, is a non-profit, non-partisan organization in the United States that works to address the needs and interests of people aged 50 and older. Recently, AARP warned of a utility scam occurring right here in Maryland:
“The summer heat is here, and so are scammers posing as the utility company. You might get a call or email from someone threatening to shut off your electric service due to unpaid bills. With high temperatures making air conditioning essential, these criminals use fear to pressure you into acting fast.
They may demand immediate payment using gift cards, wire transfers, or mobile payment apps. Real utility companies don’t threaten immediate shutoff without notice, and they don’t demand unusual forms of payment. If you receive a threat like this, contact your utility company directly using the number from your bill—not the one the caller gives you.”
According to the Federal Trade Commission, theft through fraud may be as high as $158.3 billion in just one year alone. To put this into perspective, if fraud was a US company, it would be in the top 40 by revenue. That’s $434 million every day, or about $300,000 every minute, stolen from Americans by fraud criminals, per AARP.