Beware of Creative Scammers
We routinely receive reports about various scam attempts targeting customers. Here are some tips to avoid falling victim to a scam:
Be suspicious of any emails and/or phone calls that claim to be urgent and require immediate action to prevent shut-off of any of your utility services. If your account is past due, we attempt to notify you prior to disconnection with the following notices:
- Monthly bill mailed or emailed to a customer advising the balance is "Due Upon Receipt."
- Final Notice bill mailed to customer's service address or alternate mailing address if provided to EWEB.
We may attempt to call you as a "last effort" to prevent disconnection, but it is not the first attempt, nor guaranteed for those customers who are past due.
Also note, we will only send emails regarding billing information to customers who have enrolled in our secured e-Billing payment system.
Always consider the payment method. We never ask customers to purchase pre-paid cards (such as Green Dot, MoneyPak or Vanilla Reload) to pay their utility bill.
Other warning signs:
- Our customer service representatives never take payment directly from customers over the phone. If the caller asks you to make a payment using a pre-paid card or requests your debit/credit card information over the phone, that caller is not with EWEB.
- Never follow links embedded in emails that threaten to shut off service if you don't make an immediate payment. Use your bookmarked site to visit our e-Billing system and login to your account to check your payment status and make secure online payments.
If in doubt, hang up the phone or delete the email and call our customer service line at 541-685-7000 or 800-841-5871. Be wary of embedded links in emails that appear to come from EWEB. To be safe, go to our "Pay My Bill" page.
Report scams attempts to the Oregon Attorney General's office by calling the consumer hotline at 877-877-9392 (Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) or by emailing help@oregonconsumer.gov.
