PSO shares tips to protect yourself from scammers

LAWTON, Okla. (KSWO) - Recently we told you about a scam involving the Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO) that a viewer called in about.

We reached out to PSO to gather some information to make sure we and our loved ones are as safe as possible.

The scam involved a caller saying because the resident’s bill had been overcharged there would be a refund in the way of monthly $50 payments. Then the caller asked for a debit or credit card. Wayne Greene, Region Communications Manager for PSO, says that is not the way they do business.

“If someone reaches out to you on the phone and you are suspicious at all, the thing to do is to hang up, and call our customer service center and ask them if they are trying to reach you,” said Greene.

PSO services more than 500,000 customers in Southwest Oklahoma with many of those being in Lawton. Because they take care of that many people, they also don’t deploy people to market door to door. Greene says there is a sure way you can tell if someone is from the company or not.

“If they are an employee of PSO they will have an ID badge like this one that has the picture name and logo,” Greene explained. “Our business partners carry similar ID badges but its blue employees are red. Another thing is our employees are going to arrive in a clearly marked car. If they don’t have that badge, don’t have that logo, probably not from us.”

Greene says there are some tips you should be mindful of if contacted:

1. Don’t allow anyone you don’t know in your home.
2. Check for an ID badge or marked car.
3. If you are suspicious of a caller dial 1-833-PSO-POWR.
4. If someone comes to the door notify the police.

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