ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The Public Service Company of New Mexico is warning its customers of a new phone scam. They say scammers are adding a false PNM caller ID or adding a 505 prefix to get people to answer and say they are with PNM.
The caller tells the customer they are behind on their bill and threatens to disconnect service unless a payment is made with a prepaid card or an electronic bank transfer. Scammers will also usually require the payment to be made within a short period of time, usually an hour. PNM says over 100 scams have been reported to them mostly from the Albuquerque area since January of this year.
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The scammer usually asks for $200-$500 for residential customers and over $1,000 for businesses. Ninety-one percent of PNM customers say they were contacted by scammers over the phone over other forms of communication.
PNM says scam reports peak in the summer months when more people depend on electricity to keep their homes cool.
