Columbia Gas of Kentucky warns against impostors
Columbia Gas of Kentucky has received a report of an individual in the Cynthiana area possibly impersonating a Columbia Gas meter reader in an attempt to enter homes.
Columbia Gas and its meter reading contractor, Bermex, have investigated this report and determined that there was no representative of either company in the area at the time of the incident.
Both companies urge area residents to verify the identity of anyone representing themselves as utility or meter reading employees and offer these suggestions to avoid becoming a victim:
• Before you allow a stranger to enter your home, ask to see identification.
• All Columbia Gas of Kentucky employees and contractors carry identification cards bearing their name, photograph and identification number and will be happy to show it.
• If you want to verify whether work is scheduled to be done in your area, call Columbia’s Customer Contact Center at 800-432-9345 during business hours.
• To verify the identity of a meter reader, call Bermex at 859-273-4497.
• Columbia Gas employees understand if customers call to verify their identity. They will not make you feel pressured to let them into your home.
• Most Columbia Gas employees drive clearly marked vehicles that are easy to identify.
• Do not allow entry into your home to people who claim to offer a Columbia refund. Columbia employees never deliver cash refunds or “rebates” to customer’ homes. All account transactions are handled through the mail or at the Columbia Gas payment center.
• Report suspicious activity to the police. If a person claiming to represent Columbia Gas does not have proper identification, call the police and then call Columbia Gas at 800-432-9345. Be prepared to give a detailed description of the individual and their vehicle.