Editorial: Be wary of holiday scammers

The holidays are fast approaching, so get ready for an abundance of good will — but also, of bad will, in the form of scams. 

This time of year brings a spike in scams, particularly targeting consumers of utilities: electricity, water, gas and telecommunications. As part of national Utility Scam Awareness Week, local authorities are being helpfully proactive in advising extra caution against hucksters who have grown slicker in their approaches.

Further, it’s alarming to hear that the thieves are getting more aggressive, posing in person as utility workers and bill collectors. Know that legit workers wear official logo attire, drive properly labeled vehicles and carry company IDs. And don’t fall for it, when the posers threaten to disconnect service unless a payment is made.

On the national level, the Federal Trade Commission has seen a significant increase in illegal robocalls because internet-powered phone systems have made it cheap and easy for scammers to make calls from anywhere in the world. Not good. Further, the new systems allow these scammers to hide from law enforcement by displaying fake caller IDs.

All this makes it increasingly difficult for even vigilant consumers to avoid scammers, even if they don’t fall prey to them. And just imagine how vulnerable Luddites and trusting senior citizens are; that’s why the elderly, in particular, are prime targets. It’ll take ongoing awareness and vigilance to make sure the scammers miss their marks.