Reports of utility scams are on the rise. Scammers may attempt to reach Fairfax Water customers over the phone or by at-home visits.
Here are some tips from Fairfax Water and the Fairfax County Police Department to help you verify that the person you are speaking with is one of our employees.
Phone Calls:
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Slow down! Ask yourself, does this seem legitimate?
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Scammers often make their caller ID appear real to try and trick you.
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Fairfax Water will not request payment in prepaid cards.
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Verify your account information online (log into our customer portal here: https://fwcustomer.org/) or call Customer Service directly to confirm whether or not a payment is due.
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Do not call any other number or visit any other website given to you during the scam call. We will not ask you to call Fairfax Water back at a toll-free number (such as 1-800 or 1-888).
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If you are being pressured aggressively to pay a bill, hang up!
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If you receive a call offering “discounts”, requesting account information, or offering to pay your bill – this is a scam. Fairfax Water does not call asking for your account information nor do we offer discounts for service.
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Very rarely would Fairfax Water notify a customer of a late payment over the phone. If your payment was late, you would receive notice in the mail.
Visits to Your Home or Business:
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Fairfax Water employees have photo identification with them at all times while on the job. Our vehicles and field staff’s clothing bear our logo (see below).
- If someone comes to your door and identifies themselves as a Fairfax Water employee, please ask for their identification or call 703.698.5800, TTY 711 to verify before letting them into your home.
- Fairfax Water employees do not receive or accept any form of payments during service calls and we do not collect water-service fees door-to-door.
- Most water meters are located outside of a customer’s home. Therefore Fairfax Water employees typically DO NOT require access to a customer’s home to read a meter.
Has a Scammer Contacted You?
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Notify Fairfax Water immediately at 703-698-5800, TTY 711 during normal business hours.
- Depending on the scenario, contact the Fairfax County Police Department and/or the Federal Trade Commission to file a report.