Scammers have increased their tactics to defraud customers, and Evergy is warning customers to be vigilant.

According to the utility company, scammers are posing as Evergy representatives, trying to deceive customers with two recent scam attempts.

One targets senior citizens. Scammers are claiming Evergy is returning $200 to senior citizens through the company’s Evergy Cares Kansas Fund, then asking for customers’ account information, address, and other personal information. This is a scam. The Evergy Cares Kansas Fund does not give customers cash; it provides financial assistance directly to the customers’ account, but customers must initiate contact with Evergy first. Customers can learn more here.

The second recent scam focuses on discounts. Scammers call customers claiming that Evergy could offer a discount if the customer provides their credit card number over the phone immediately. This is a scam.

While Evergy offers customer programs and works with organizations that offer financial assistance, any call, text, or email a customer receives offering a straight discount is likely fraud. Evergy is regulated by state commissions in Kansas and Missouri. As a regulated utility, we must go through a detailed and thorough process with each state commission to make any changes to our rates or to gain approval of special programs.

With the increase in scams coming through calls, texts, emails, fake websites, and even door-to-door tactics, Evergy offers these safety tips for customers: 

• Verify the person you are engaging with is an Evergy employee. Ask to see company identification before giving any financial or personal information to anyone who comes to your home, calls, texts and/or sends an email requesting this information about your utility bill. If you can’t verify that you are speaking to an Evergy employee, do not give them this information.

• Be suspicious if you receive an email or text regarding your utility bill if you have not requested online communications from Evergy.

• For customers using Evergy’s online bill pay system, always make online payments directly through www.evergy.com. Go directly to the site instead of using search engines.

• Never provide personal information via email or click any suspicious links. Even if caller ID says a phone call is from Evergy, it could be a scammer. If something seems suspicious, hang up and check the account online or call the customer service number on your Evergy bill.

• Employees will carry Evergy employee identification. For a service appointment, they may be driving an Evergy vehicle or wearing Evergy-branded clothing. Evergy does not perform door-to-door sales and employees rarely need to enter a customer’s home.

• Customers can also review their account status online by visiting www.evergy.com.

Additional signs of a potential scam include: 

• Threat to disconnect – Scammers may aggressively tell customers their utility bill is past due, and service will be disconnected, usually within an hour, if a payment is not made. For past-due accounts, calls from Evergy requesting payment are never made the same day as the disconnection.

• Request for immediate payment – Scammers may instruct customers to buy a prepaid card, then call them back supposedly to make a bill payment. When the customer calls back, the caller asks the customer for the prepaid card’s number, which grants the scammer instant access to the card’s funds and the victim’s money is gone. Scammers may also instruct customers to send payment over a money app. Evergy will never ask a customer to purchase a pre-paid debit card or use a money app to pay for service.

• Claiming to be working with Evergy – Evergy does not have business partners that promote programs or products through door-to-door sales.

• Offering a discount – Scammers may claim that by giving them a credit card number or other form of payment they can give a discount on their electricity bill. As a regulated utility, Evergy can only offer approved prices and programs. The best way to learn about programs is to go to www.evergy.com and click on Ways to Save or visit Evergy Connect. Payment assistance resources can be found at www.evergy.com/financialassistance or by calling 2-1-1.

Report a scam to Evergy: 

Evergy recently launched an enhanced online collection scam reporting form to help stop scams. The form allows customers to conveniently report scam attempts at www.evergy.com/reportscam. Customers will need to provide their account number or primary phone number to complete the form. The form also requires the scammers’ callback number, not the number that appears on their caller ID. Evergy can then work with phone carriers to shut down the fake callback number.

If you feel you have been a victim of a scam, please work with your local law enforcement agency to report the crime. Those who are not customers and were contacted by someone claiming to be Evergy can report the scam by calling our customer service center. Evergy Missouri West, Evergy Missouri Metro and Evergy Kansas Metro customers may reach customer service toll-free at 1-888-471-5275. Evergy Kansas Central customers may call 1-800-383-1183.