By John Dempsey, WLS News

(CHICAGO) Commonwealth Edison is announcing that scam artists have been contacting customers posing as employees of the utility.   The company says scammers are contacting customers by phone and in-person claiming to be ComEd representatives and telling them their service will be disconnected unless payment is made. They instruct the

individual to wire funds or buy a prepaid credit card and call them back with the personal identification number (PIN).

Edison says sometimes the scammers tell customers that their billing cycles have changed, or that their accounts are past due, and that they must make immediate payment to avoid disconnection of service.

Edison issued a statement saying it is not the company’s policy to make such requests, and that anyone who is unsure about the status of their accounts should contact the company directly at 1-800-EDISON1.

If you think you have been the victim of a scam, ComEd asks you to call the Illinois Attorney General’s office at 1-800-386-5438.

@ 2016 W;S News