PSEG Long Island Warns Suffolk County Residents About Impostor Utility Scams

The scammer's playbook rarely varies: a phone call warning your power is about to be cut, a demand for immediate payment by prepaid debit card or Bitcoin, and just enough urgency to stop you from thinking clearly. PSEG Long Island issued a formal advisory last week telling Suffolk County customers exactly how to shut down that script.

Lou DeBrino, PSEG Long Island's vice president of Customer Operations, put it plainly. "PSEG Long Island wants customers to remember one simple thing: Stop and verify first. If someone threatens to immediately shut off your power, check your account online or call the number that's printed on your bill to double check before giving them any money," he said.

The advisory, released March 25 from the company's Uniondale headquarters, warned that impostors operate year-round, by phone and sometimes door to door, targeting households especially during weather disruptions when anxiety about outages runs high. Scammers have used spoofed phone numbers to make calls appear to originate from PSEG Long Island itself. In-person impostors have shown up carrying fake IDs, wearing counterfeit uniforms, and affixing false company signs to their vehicles before approaching homes and claiming to be utility collection representatives.

DeBrino described the common thread running through every variation. "It may be an advanced digital scam, an in-person scammer or a telephone call, but nearly all scammers present an urgent problem in the hopes that their victims panic and miss all the clues that they're not who they appear to be," he said.

PSEG was direct about what it will never request: payments via prepaid debit cards, Bitcoin, or cryptocurrency. The company also does not require deposits for meter installations through sudden phone calls and will not insist on any single nonstandard payment method. Genuine PSEG employees carry company identification and will present it when asked; they will also ask specifically for the Customer of Record when visiting a home.

The most reliable defense is a quick independent check. Log into the official PSEG account portal, call the number printed on your utility bill, or dial 1-800-490-0025 directly. If an in-person visitor raises any doubt, do not let them in and call that number to verify. If safety is at risk, call 911.

Robert Vessichelli, PSEG Long Island's lead corporate security investigator, has been building awareness at the community level, including a February 2025 session educating seniors in Huntington about common utility scam tactics. The company framed the advisory as part of a broader effort to protect vulnerable households, and it aligns with other local warnings, including a Suffolk County District Attorney's alert about fake parking violation notices circulating in the region.

Anyone who has already been targeted should contact their bank or card issuer immediately, report the incident to local police, and file complaints with state and federal consumer-protection agencies. Keep records: documentation of the call, screenshots of text messages, and copies of any fake notices can all support investigators. PSEG's scams-and-fraud webpage and its customer-service line at 1-800-490-0025 provide additional guidance.