DTE, Consumers Energy customers targeted by scams that trick them into calling crooks

Many of us know about the scam where fraudsters call you and threaten to shut off your electricity — and your air conditioning — unless you pay up right now during a brutal heat wave. Ditto for threats for cutting off the heat during a cold snap.

But what about the utility scam where you inadvertently call the crooks? It's definitely out there — and someone who is moving into a new home or apartment can be vulnerable. The same for someone who is rushing to pay a bill by phone.

The scam starts when you Google for a phone number. It's like second nature; we Google stuff all the time. But the crooks, naturally, know that and figured out a way to get us to call them.

Instead of getting the real number when you search online, you could easily end up with a phony number posted by online scammers. And you could lose money as a result.

Utilities around the country are warning consumers about calling bogus numbers that are posted online by con artists and crooks.

Bogus numbers get you to call the scammers

This summer, a metro Detroit man wanted to open an account with Detroit-based DTE Energy. So he said he Googled the contact information for DTE. But the information he found on Google directed him to a scammer's site. When he called the number, he provided his personal information and paid a $250 fee, according a Troy police report on July 1.

After getting suspicious, the man found the actual number for DTE and contacted a legitimate representative who confirmed that it was a scam.

DTE Energy has heard from 80 consumers who have reported that they've fallen victim to this type of scam, according to a statement emailed to the Detroit Free Press by Evette Griffie, DTE Energy vice president of customer and community engagement. DTE was first made aware of this scam back in late 2023.

"Luckily, many customers who paid scammers with debit or credit cards have been able to get the charges reversed by reporting the scam to their financial institution," Griffie said.

DTE Energy is working with other utility companies and with search engines to report these ads, she said, and get them taken down.

"This scam isn’t just targeting DTE customers — it's affecting utility customers around the country," Griffie said.

"Unfortunately," she added, "once some of the ads are removed, others appear in their place."

Utility scam hits dozens of Michigan consumers

Last summer, Jackson-based Consumers Energy warned Michigan consumers to "be aware of online scammers who aim to trick people into calling bogus phone numbers."

The scam appears to be ongoing. Consumers Energy has had 36 reports of the scam involving bogus phone numbers during the last six months, according to Brian Wheeler, a spokesperson for Consumers Energy.

Once you call that fake phone number, the crooks will attempt to obtain access to credit cards, bank accounts or other personal information, according to the Consumers Energy alert. The real number for Consumers Energy is 800-477-5050 or go to www.ConsumersEnergy.com with questions.

Often with this scam, criminals pretend to be with utility and then request payments for services like starting new accounts, which isn't always required.

DTE Energy, for example, only asks customers to provide a security deposit if their history with the utility includes a pattern of missing payments, and the customer wants to reestablish service after they have been interrupted for nonpayment. DTE does not request deposits from low-income customers.

Or sometimes the crooks that you just called might tell you that you have an outstanding balance that must be paid immediately. And that might be a way to trick you into handing over even more money.

More:No, you did not just get a real text to pay unpaid tolls. It's a scam.

If using a search engine, make sure to carefully review the phone number and URL that appears before clicking on a sponsored ad in a listing.

"Although these scams have 'DTE Energy' in the URL, the link is not directed to dteenergy.com," Griffie said. "Trust your gut and if a website URL seems unsafe, don’t click on it. Customers should also take note of the phone number listed under these websites."

DTE’s phone number is 800-477-4747. The website is www.dteenergy.com.

"Scammers are buying sponsored ads in search engine listings that appear when customers are looking for ways to start their DTE service or pay their DTE bill," Griffie said.

The fake ads might say things like "Call us for new service" or "Pay your energy bill by phone."

Sponsored ads appear at the top of the search results, according to experts, sometimes taking up three or four listings. Take extra care with links that are marked as advertisement or “sponsored.”

No, you're not going to find fake links on all sponsored ads. But scammers are definitely using web ads as a way to reach victims. Another tip: Look at your own bills, statements and the back of your credit cards to find the real numbers for customer support.

The scam is particularly worrisome if you're Googling when using a mobile phone, as it currently seems that many bogus numbers appear to be showing up via cellphone searches.

When you use your mobile phone to do an online search for customer service, you could click on the ad and you'll end up immediately dialing the scammers.

Griffie said the scammers will impersonate DTE and ask for personal, identifiable information and payment. The scammers could take payments from a debit card, credit card or through PayPal.

A point to know: The real DTE and Consumers Energy do not accept payment via PayPal.

More and more, we're receiving tips and warnings to avoid simply calling the phone number that pops up online for customer service — similar to alerts that we shouldn't call a phone number that was just texted to us out of the blue.

"Do not call numbers sent over text or email or found in online search results," according to one safe shopping tip from Amazon.

Consumers also need to realize that it's quite possible to Google a number for a scammer if you're trying to contact Amazon, PayPal or another well-known company, too. PayPal recommends "contacting customer support directly through our website or app, and not from other sources or search engine results."

You don't want to call a phone number that "pops up" on your computer, either, claiming to offer help or customer support for Microsoft or another company.

As many know, crooks also "spoof" legitimate phone numbers for caller ID to make it look like the caller is a real company or government agency, too. So, you cannot always trust your caller ID, either.

Know that crooks hide behind 'customer support'

I warned back in 2022 that con artists were listing fake customer support numbers online to trick consumers.

The scammers find ways to buy online ads that will connect you to a fake customer support line, staffed by the crooks.

A New York City woman, for example, lost more than $2,700 a few years ago when she attempted to get U.S. Women's Open golf tournament tickets from Ticketmaster. The Better Business Bureau noted that the consumer searched the internet for a helpline after she had trouble making a payment.

But she obtained a phone number online for a fake customer service line. The person who answered then convinced her to buy Target gift cards for them to ensure the purchase for those tickets would go through.

A fake purchase confirmation email was sent to her. Then, the impostor asked for even more money. She became suspicious and stopped engaging with the crooks.

Some consumers report problems after getting an email impersonating PayPal, and then Googling for a number. After calling the number that came up, one man in Michigan reported that he spoke with someone who claimed that PayPal would give him a $400 refund if he typed that amount into a refund box. But when he did that $40,000 showed up.

"The victim was then instructed to go to his bank and complete a wire transfer for the $40,000. When the victim arrived at his bank, the female suspect told him not to tell the bank employees it was for PayPal. The victim realized it was a scam and hung up," according to a Troy police report made in late June.

I contacted Google to ask what was being done to prevent such scams. The Google spokesperson said via email that Google’s systems are "highly effective at surfacing high quality information and fighting spam, scams and malicious behavior across search."

The Google spokesperson said: "Whenever possible, we prominently feature official customer service pages.”

Google often includes dedicated features pointing to official customer service pages, the spokesperson stated, as is the case for customer service for DTE Energy and PayPal.

The spokesperson noted that consumers who use less common search terms could find that lower quality content might surface. The Google system tries to match words in a query to keywords on web pages.

Google encourages consumers to be cautious and make use of tools, such as "About This Result," found in the three dots next to search results, to learn more about the sources they find.

Scams are a big threat to online user safety, according to the spokesperson. Google said it works to identify emerging threats and has improved its system to reduce the presence of scam-related results in its search engine.

Unfortunately, consumers cannot bank on getting the right number all of the time. The latest trend is yet another sign that consumers need to slow down and double check everything these days. Scams play off a sense of urgency. But what's the real rush to find a phone number?

Contact personal finance columnist Susan Tompor: stompor@freepress.com. Follow her on X (Twitter) @tompor.