In recent days, suspected fraudsters have made several attempts to obtain the personal data of customers of Stadtwerke Gießen (SWG). In one known case, a man pretending to be an SWG employee convinced a customer with a fake ID to give him both her SWG customer number and her bank details. He pretended to transfer the balance of the annual bill directly to her account. "Under no circumstances do our employees ask customers for their bank details at the front door," explains company spokeswoman Ina Weller. "When it comes to paying out a credit balance, customers either receive a letter from us or we automatically offset the amount against the next bill."
In a second case, an SWG customer describes how she received a call from a provider who claimed to be working with Stadtwerke and therefore requested all of her important data. After she asked who exactly was on the phone, the customer was only insulted. "The caller probably wanted to gain access to the customer's account," surmises Ina Weller. "That's why we can only warn everyone against giving personal data to strangers over the phone. Stadtwerke Giessen employees do not ask for such information over the phone or at the front door."
Anyone who also suspects fraud should contact SWG's customer service immediately. The employees can be reached on the service number 0800 23 02 100 (free of charge from the German landline network and all German mobile phone networks) from Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
09.01.2014