In the wake of fraudulent activities, Turlock Irrigation District acts to empower customers to sniff out scam artists. Should the phone ring, and the person on the other end of the line claims they’re from TID and they need payment or some sort of personal information, or else your TID power will be disconnected soon, TID urges customers to be cautious. In the wake of various nationwide utility scams that have increased over the summer, and because a few customers have recently reported being preyed upon, TID is urging customers who may experience calls like these to be skeptical of who is on the other end of the line; both now and in the future.
Therefore, TID offers customers this important advice: Always be wary of pushy people who demand payment or personal information (like a Social Security Number, credit card number, or bank information), especially if they threaten to turn off your power. If ever in doubt of who is on the phone or at your door claiming to represent TID, call TID immediately at 883-8222 to confirm the person’s identity and purpose.
TID has created a web page at tid.com/scams with additional tips for customers. Among them include:
-TID offices are closed on Saturday and Sunday. TID does not solicit payments or disconnect power for non-payment on weekends, after business hours, or on holidays when TID offices are closed.
-All calls from TID come from the 209 area code. Calls from TID Customer Service will come from TID’s (209) 883-8222 phone number. Outgoing phone calls from most TID offices generally come from a (209) 883-xxxx number, where the x’s can represent any digit. Calls from TID’s Patterson Office will come from a (209) 892-xxxx number.
-TID does not use email, social media, or text messaging to solicit payments.
-TID does not work with any third-party vendors for payment collection, nor does TID contract with any agency or service conducting door-to-door rebates or promotions.
-TID employees drive white vehicles with blue TID logos visible on the door panels. The vehicles will have State of California Exempt license plates. Service workers wear blue shirts with TID logos embroidered on the front and/or back. All TID employees also have company-issued identification badges.
TID occasionally contacts customers over the phone or in person to conduct TID business, which may include collecting payments.
Electrical disconnections are a last resort for TID. Customers subject to disconnect are notified by mail of their delinquent status prior to their service being disconnected.
These tips are intended to give customers an additional level of comfort and security when at home or answering the phone. Customers are encouraged to visit tid.com/scams for the latest information on potential scams, as well as additional protection tips.
