The IDT Energy scammers showed up at our building yesterday. Hepcat listened over the intercom while they spoke with one of our neighbors on the stoop. They said they were employees of ConEd and wanted to change their payment options or something like that. They asked to see my neighbor’s bill. That’s all that Hepcat heard.

Hepcat found an article about this scam online. The idea is to get customers to switch from ConEd by posing as ConEd workers and using misleading sales tactics.

They say something along the lines of "We need to make sure you got a discount on your last energy bill .Just sign here…"

Just making sure you got a discount. IDT Energy may be a legitimate company(?) but they use terrible tactics to get new customers.

Beware. This is a scam. Mindy Bockstein, Chairperson and Executive Director of the New York State Cosumer Protection Board, had this to say back in December of 2007.

"It is disturbing to hear that many consumers are being taken advantage of by unsavory marketing practices being used by some energy service companies (ESCOs). I am calling on the Public Service Commission to review exisiting policies and to move forward by establishing new and enforceable marketing rules. The new rules should be accompanied by a range of sanctions…"

But this problem persists. So beware.