3/28/16 – Never throw a cigarette out of the window of a vehicle. Use your ashtray to prevent wildfires! This week we will be posting several messages regarding Southwest Wildfire Preparedness Week. At their regularly scheduled meeting on March 22, 2016 the Navajo County Board of Supervisors signed a proclamation in honor of this week. Learn more at SmokeyBear.com. #OneLessSpark
3/28/16 – The National Weather Service has issued a Wind Advisory which will remain in effect from 11:00 a.m. Monday through 8 p.m. Tuesday night. Southwest winds of 25 to 35 MPH gusting frequently from 40 to 50 MPH. Scattered rain and snow showers will develop along this front especially near the Utah border.
Tuesday much cooler temperatures will trail the front, dropping 10 to 15 degrees. Cooler and unsettled conditions will then persist through the end of the week.
A Wind Advisory means that sustained winds of 30 to 39 MPH or gusts from 40 to 57 MPH are expected. Winds this strong can make driving difficult especially for high profile vehicles. Consider securing loose belongings on your property.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 23, 2016
CONSUMER ALERT:
APS WARNS CUSTOMERS TO BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR FAMILIAR SCAM
More than 50 customers report calls from fake phone line in last 24 hours
PHOENIX – APS warned customers today to be on alert for a scam trying to entice them into paying a false electric bill. Criminals, masquerading as APS employees, are calling residential and small business customers and threatening to disconnect their electric service unless an outstanding balance is paid. More than 50 customers have called APS to report being targeted by the scammers since yesterday, March 22. APS reports it encountered a similar scam last fall.
The scammers are using a ghost phone system that appears to be APS on the recipient’s caller ID. The potential victims are instructed to call a toll-free number to pay their electric bill under threat of having service disconnected within the hour.
The number goes to a false phone system that acts and sounds like the actual APS Customer Care Center. Customers are asked to select a number for the service they require, including paying a bill. After selecting the option to pay their bill, the scammer picks up the phone and says, “This is APS, how can I help you?” Payment is then collected by the scammers.
APS security, local law enforcement and the FBI are currently working together to apprehend those responsible. To keep customers from becoming a victim of consumer scams, APS provides the following suggestions:
• The only valid numbers to the APS Customer Care Center are listed on customer bills and at aps.com.
• If there is ever a question about the validity of an email, website or person claiming to be an APS representative, call the APS Customer Care Center immediately at (602) 371-7171 to verify this information.
• Recognize the signs of a phishing email: mismatched fonts, missing hyperlinks, improper grammar and misspellings.
• Never share credit card information with an unverified source. Customers who pay by credit card at aps.com will be directed to the KUBRA EZ-Pay website which asks them to enter a “captcha” validation code. A “captcha” typically uses a set of letters and numbers that the user is required to manually retype and submit. Any other credit card payment site is fraudulent and should not be used.
APS, Arizona’s largest and longest-serving electricity utility, serves nearly 1.2 million customers in 11 of the state’s 15 counties. With headquarters in Phoenix, APS is the principal subsidiary of Pinnacle West Capital Corp. (NYSE: PNW).
Media Contact: Steven Gotfried, (602) 250-3040
Website: aps.com/newsroom