FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO): NIPSCO is joining electric and natural gas providers across the United States and Canada in an effort to protect customers from long-running scams.

The Utilities United Against Scams collaboration is wrapping up a weeklong campaign with content focused on exposing the tricks scammers use to steal money from customers, and how customers can protect themselves.

The most common scam reported by NIPSCO customers involves an unsolicited phone call from someone who falsely claims to be a NIPSCO representative. The scammer warns that the customer’s service will be disconnected if the customer fails to make a payment – usually within a short time frame.

NIPSCO says any disconnection notice will come with a far bigger window than just a few hours.

Often, scammers will provide a phone number to call back, which is different from the company’s official and published 1-800 customer service phone number. They duplicate and record the company’s automated customer service phone system, giving the appearance of an authentic-sounding 1-800 when customers dial the number provided by the scammer.

Other red flags:

· The thief becomes angry and tells the customer his or her account is past due and service will be disconnected if a large payment isn’t made – usually within less than an hour.

· The thief instructs the customer to purchase a prepaid debit or credit card – widely available at retail stores – then call him or her back to supposedly make a payment.

· The scammer asks the customer for the prepaid card’s receipt number and PIN number, which grants instant access to the card’s funds.

Customers who suspect or experience fraud, or who feel threatened during contact with one of these scams, should contact local authorities, and then call NIPSCO at 1-800-464-7726. You can also find more scam prevention information at NIPSCO.com/StaySafe.