Utilities Kingston warns of callers offering rebates on HVAC appliances

Utilities Kingston is warning customers to beware of callers offering financial relief in the form of rebates on their furnaces, water heaters and air conditioners. According to the utility company, several of their customers have reported this activity today, Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020.

This is the third time in month that Utilities Kingston has released a warning of this nature. The utility company sent out a release on Thursday, Nov. 19, 2020, warning of a similar rash of suspicious calls, and again on Monday, Nov. 30, 2020, regarding callers attempting to set up an in-home inspection of rental water heaters.

According to a release from Utilities Kingston dated Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020, these individuals are attempting to book appointments to gain access to homes and are offering a break in service costs due to the pandemic. They may claim they are affiliated with Utilities Kingston.

Utilities Kingston wishes to assure its customers that:

• It is not affiliated with these companies and are not partnering with them.
• It is committed to providing efficient and reliable water heater rentals, which meet all applicable codes.

If you receive a suspicious call or visit to your home:

• Remember, you have the right to ask people to leave your property. If they don’t, then contact police.
• Do not provide any personal information including Utilities Kingston or credit card account numbers.
• Collect any information possible about the caller.
• Contact Utilities Kingston customer service at 613-546-0000 during regular business hours, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to report the incident.
• Report the incident to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501. This agency collects information on fraud and works closely with police to solve these crimes.
• If you become a victim of fraud through monetary loss, call Kingston Police at 613-549-4660.

Ontarians are seeing an increase in fraudulent emails, text messages and phone calls, as scammers try to take advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic, Utilities Kingston said in the release. Learn more ways to recognize, reject and report fraud at UtilitiesKingston.com.