The Mississippi Public Service Commission has been made aware of a scam targeting utility customers. A caller is impersonating a Public Service Commission employee, claiming to collect bank account numbers to deposit overcharges from their utility company into their account.

On Thursday afternoon, the Mississippi Public Service Commission (MPSC) received a phone call from a citizen who requested to speak with a non-existent MPSC employee. The citizen reported that this person had called her and represented himself to be a member of MPSC staff, including providing a phony badge number. The scammer alleged that a utility company had made a billing mistake, and the customer was due a refund. Under the auspices of facilitating a refund of the over-billed amount, the scammer obtained the customer’s bank account information. Immediately after receiving this information, the Commission advised the citizen to report this fraud to her bank, and to contact the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office to file a report.

Do not provide your bank account information – this is a scam. The Public Service Commission will never ask for your bank account number.

If you receive a suspicious call, hang up and contact your utility company directly to verify any account information.

Protect yourself and your personal information. NEVER give out personal information over the phone. Stay vigilant and report any similar suspicious activity to the Commission and to the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office.