Central Maine Power employees confer after restoring power to Stevens Avenue and Brighton Avenue intersection in March 2024. Brianna Soukup/Portland Press Herald

Central Maine Power officials say imposters are posing as employees of the utility company and reaching out to residents and businesses.

These “aggressive tactics” include going door-to-door while posing as CMP employees, according to a company spokesperson. Scammers have also used fraudulent phone numbers, emails and texts to try to get personal information from customers.

In some cases, the caller ID will show a call coming from CMP. The caller pretends to have specific knowledge about the customers they’re calling. They may also provide a callback number with a recorded greeting similar to CMP’s company’s customer service line, according to spokesperson Jonathan Breed.

The company sent a notice last week to police departments and town officials warning them about the scam.

Breed said scamming is not new, but the tactics evolve.

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“The best tool we have to protect our customers is arming them with information,” he said.

Deputy Chief Jeff Pardue said the Falmouth Police Department hasn’t received any complaints from residents about people posing as CMP employees, but shared information from the company on Facebook to make sure residents are aware of possible scams.

“Unfortunately, it’s become a pervasive issue nationally,” he said. “We’re seeing a lot of cyber issues and scam behavior. We’re always looking to educate residents about how to protect themselves.”

Pardue said scams are “ever evolving” and cautions people to be cautious and suspicious whenever they’re approached by a company, especially if they’re asked to provide payment using a weblink or gift card. People shouldn’t simply trust caller ID, a credential hanging around someone’s neck or the lettering on their vehicle because all of those can be easily faked, he said.

“I’d always go to the source directly to make sure what you’re being asked to do or provide is on the up-and-up,” he said.

Breed said CMP will never send employees to a personal residence to use a computer or other device, have an employee take a photo of your electric bill, or send an employee to your home to offer a discount or to sign up for a service. The company also will not ask customers to make a payment with a prepaid debit card or other non-refundable method.

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Customers should also look out for people posing as a utility representative and aggressively telling them their account is past due and that a crew is on the way to shut off service unless payment is made immediately, Breed said. Typically, those scammers will ask for payment using a prepaid card.

Callers or in-person scammers will also instruct customers to pay with cash or a prepaid debit card to cover the cost of a new meter or meter upgrade.

CMP said customers should also look out for callers who insist that a recent payment encountered a system glitch and was not completed or that the company has not received the payment at all. In those cases, the scammer will ask the customer to make a false payment using a prepaid card or by providing personal bank account information.

If people think they have been approached by someone posing as a CMP employee, they should notify their local police department.

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