Utility discount phone scam

I have been contacted by phone by what I am sure are scams. The caller at first claimed to be from my electric company(the caller ID only listed the number, no name), and said something like "Congratulations, you automatically qualify for a discount on your next bill." He then tells me to find my last bill/statement and read him my account number and other information. I don't think so, I was born at night, but not last night, [*]click[*] This is actually the second time in two months that I got a call like this, the first time they claimed they were from my gas company(different number than the second, but could have been the same people). After I hung up the phone, it occurred to me that they could have been from a (semi)legitimate alternate utility company hopping to get me to switch by saying they could provide my service for less. If this is true, the way they go about it is stupid, because it makes them sound much worse that they are by making them sound like scammers out to defraud me and steal my identity. Has anyone else experienced calls like this?

Your assumption is correct, it is a scam. This scam has been making the rounds for a year or so, moving from area to area. The goal appears to be to gather enough personal information for identity theft.

One example:

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/scammers-con-utility-customers-providing-personal-information/story?id=16747031

I feel obligated to post because I got a call like that, too. The lady told me the same story but I don't think they were legit companies, at all, merely trying to get me to switch. I think they were really scammers trying to steal my information.

This is why I always remind family and friends to be cautious about anonymous calls and report them to the authorities in an attempt to shut the scam down.

And I am never wrong with my instincts. With the calls I get, I look up the phone number at http://www.callercenter.com every time and there's always a complaint associated with it.

I find it really helpful that we have consumer complaint sites where the latest scams are reported so we have a way to get updates.

I'm glad you recognized the scam and didn't give away your information.

One of the best things you can do is actually google the phone number. There are actually several sites out there that contain information about phone numbers, and the search will help to ensure that you find the latest information, regardless of where it is posted.