Utility scams surge during extreme weather. How to protect yourself.

• Crooks impersonating utilities will threaten to shut off your heat or electricity within hours, if you don't pay.
• Unlicensed contractors and scammers are known to show up at the door after big storms.

One miserable, seemingly never-ending arctic blast is apparently just a ray of sunshine for scammers.

So, it's essential to offer yet another reminder to strengthen your core, sprinkle plenty of skepticism along the way, and stay strong to avoid falling for some of these well-crafted traps.

The weather ‒ be it bitterly cold in the winter, scorching hot in the summer, or even a thunderstorm somewhere in between ‒ presents a chance for scammers to threaten to shut off your utilities. Maybe it's your electricity, your heat, or the water.

Crooks typically text, call, or email under the guise of being someone from the utility company. They often threaten to shut off your heat in the cold temperatures unless you pay up. Or demand money to fix a problem.

Don't pay a scammer if your power goes out

In an alert issued Jan. 29, the Federal Trade Commission warned that scammers will even say they can get your power turned back on quicker after an outage if you pay up now or hand over key personal information.

After any big storm, the FTC warned, utility and other scammers aren’t far behind.

One of the most important steps you can take when dealing with any scam ‒ utility imposter scams, IRS imposter scams, romance scams, cryptocurrency scams ‒ is to step back and talk with someone before you hand over money or financial information.

"Talk about what's going on," said Annette Washington, vice president and community manager for Chase Bank in Detroit, who focuses on financial wellness and building awareness for how to avoid scams and fraud.

She recommends that you reach out to a friend or relative and say, "Hey, I got this phone call, and what do you think?"

Washington, who is based out of the Chase branch at Seven Mile Road and Winthrop Street in northwest Detroit, regularly hosts fraud and scam prevention workshops in Detroit.

Washington maintains that communication is key. She noted that Chase Bank will talk with both customers and noncustomers at its branches to offer guidance if someone fears that they're about to be scammed or if they've already been scammed.

Be careful when paying strangers to shovel snow

When we're dealing with cold weather or big snowfalls, she said some people risk giving out their credit card or debit card number to a stranger who is offering to shovel snow. Or they might simply hand over a personal check to someone they don't really know.

The risk is that you could be giving important personal information to a con artist. A personal check provides your bank account number, as well as the routing number for your bank, which is information that can be used in identity theft schemes and check washing, where crooks use chemicals to rewrite the check for a higher amount to themselves or an accomplice.

You want to verify that you're dealing with a reputable company first before handing over a check, a credit card, or a debit card, Washington said.

A huge clue that you're talking to a scammer: The con artists will rush you, confuse you, and try to bully you into acting quickly.

Don't pay by gift cards, bitcoin, or money transfer methods

The crooks can also demand that you pay in odd ways. They could ask you to put money on a gift card, tell you to make a payment by money transfer, or demand cryptocurrency, often sending you to a nearby bitcoin ATM. Those are ways that make it easier for crooks to steal your money and avoid getting caught.

Best bet: Do not quickly respond to these unexpected messages. Don't click on the links. Don't engage in a phone conversation. Don't call anyone back.

Instead, look for the phone number listed on your bill, call the utility directly, and see whether the utility was actually reaching out to you for any reason.

Take time to do some extra research before panicking

Don't trust ‒ just verify.

Unfortunately, you cannot always trust the customer service number you simply find online for a utility, business, or even an airline.

As I've warned earlier, scammers know how to plant fake customer service numbers online for well-known major airlines, banks, insurance companies, cable companies, utilities, online retailers and more.

Joelle Kruczek, senior communications strategist for DTE Energy in Detroit, said it's not safe to simply trust your caller ID, either, as crooks know how to spoof the phone numbers of legitimate utilities, companies and government agencies, like the IRS.

"Alarm bells should ring when someone calls and says a crew is on the way to shut off service unless there’s an immediate payment," Kruczek said. "The more aggressive the caller, the more skeptical customers should be."

She also noted that if a caller insists that you put money on a prepaid debit card or gift card, it's a clear sign of a scam. DTE Energy does not demand a specific form of payment.

Another clue: DTE Energy does not ask customers to provide their account numbers.

"Customers will be asked to validate account information such as the billing ZIP code or last four digits of their Social Security number prior to discussing account details to protect our customers’ private information," she said.

And if a customer is behind on payments, she said DTE will mail a warning notice, providing the steps to restore the account to good standing and continue service.  

Consumers Energy notes on its website that your safety needs to be the priority. "If you feel pressured to let someone into your home, close and lock your doors and call 911," according to information at ConsumersEnergy.com/scams.

The utility notes that those who impersonate utilities might try to get into your home or business by asking to see your bill or claiming to look for a gas leak. Consumers Energy also notes that the utility will only send emails or texts about your bill or account if you've signed up for alerts.

Another key tip: You want to proceed very cautiously when anyone shows up, according to the FTC alert, promising immediate cleanup or repairs after a weather emergency. "Unlicensed contractors and scammers often appear after big storms or natural disasters," the FTC stated.

Often, the FTC warns, scammers might claim they don’t need to be licensed to do the work. Or they'll promise you a big discount if you sign a contract right away. Or they might demand, if the weather emergency triggers an insurance claim, that you sign over your insurance check to them.

Scammers could even suggest that you borrow money from a lender they know. Or they claim they can help you qualify for relief through the Federal Emergency Management Agency ‒ and then say you need to pay an extra fee to them to get help with the process.

"If they want cash up front, walk away," according to the FTC alert. "And if they won’t give you copies of their license, insurance, or a contract in writing, that’s a red flag."

The temperature isn't the only thing that is low out there: The scammers are pretty darn cold, too.

Contact personal finance columnist Susan Tompor: [email protected]. Follow her on X @tompor.