A scam intended to deceive people into providing their social security numbers, banking details, and other personal information by misleading them to believe that the government will help pay their utility bills has appeared in the greater Philadelphia region, PECO said.

The scam, which has been reportedly taking place through social media such as Facebook, text messages, telephone and U.S. Mail, claims that President Barack Obama is providing funding to help customers pay their utility bills.

“We want to make our customers aware of this scam and any potential issues so they can protect themselves from becoming victims of identity theft and other fraudulent activities,” said Mark Alden, PECO vice president of Customer Operations.

PECO offers these tips to help customers avoid falling for the scam:

• Never provide your social security number, banking, or credit card information over the phone, unless you have initiated the call.
• If you receive a call allegedly from PECO and are pressured for immediate payment or for personal information, hang up and call PECO directly at 1-800-494-4000.
• Never provide anyone access to your home who claims to be from PECO, or a contractor working for PECO, unless the visit has been scheduled and the person has proper identification.  Customers can always contact the company at 1-800-494-4000 to confirm an official visit. 

PECO customers who have been contacted regarding this scam are asked to call PECO immediately at 1-800-494-4000 to report the incident.  PECO’s Security Group will work with local authorities to investigate the incident.