National Grid Warns Customers of Widespread Utility Merger Scam Demanding Immediate Payment
National Grid has issued a warning to its customers in the Greater Boston area regarding a scam where callers falsely claim to represent the utility. These scammers are demanding immediate payment for supposed overdue accounts, threatening service shutoffs, and citing a fictitious utility merger. Reports of this scam have emerged from various towns, including Danvers, Reading, Wilmington, Lynnfield, and North Reading. The callers often use 'spoofed' phone numbers, making it appear as though the call is genuinely from National Grid. They create a false sense of urgency, pressuring customers to pay immediately using methods like prepaid cards, gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency, or third-party payment apps, which National Grid explicitly states it would never demand. The utility advises customers that legitimate contact regarding accounts or service would never involve such payment demands.
