ATMOS ENERGY

News release 

Scammers posing as utility representatives use a variety of email, in-person and phone tactics to target families and businesses to steal money. Nationwide utility scams are on the rise, and Atmos Energy encourages customers to protect themselves from fraud. Signs of Potential Scam Activity:

• Threat to disconnect: Scammers may aggressively tell the customer their utility bill is past due and service will be disconnected if a payment is not made – usually within less than an hour.

• Request for immediate payment: Scammers may instruct the customer to purchase a prepaid card and then call them back supposedly to make a bill payment to their utility company.

• Request for prepaid card: When the customer calls back, the caller asks the customer for the prepaid card’s number, which grants the scammer instant access to the card’s funds, and the victim’s money is gone.

How Customers Can Protect Themselves:

• Customers should never purchase a prepaid card to avoid service disconnection.

Atmos Energy never asks or requires a customer with a delinquent account to purchase a prepaid debit card to avoid disconnection. Customers always have multiple payment options.

 If someone threatens immediate disconnection or shutoff of service, customers should hang up the phone, delete the email, or shut the door. Customers with delinquent accounts receive an advance disconnection notification, typically by mail and included with their regular monthly bill. Companies never send a single notification one hour or less before disconnection.

 If customers suspect someone is trying to scam them, they should call their utility company at the number on their monthly bill or the company’s website, not the phone number the scammer provides. If customers ever feel that they are in physical danger, they should call 911.

Anytime Atmos Energy contacts a customer, all account information will be verified before proceeding to take any payment. If you suspect you are a victim of a scam, then please contact our customer contact center at 888-286- 6700. Maintaining the security of account information is important to Atmos Energy. Please visit the Atmos Energy

website to view your bill and make any necessary payments. Never dial the phone number the scammers provide. More information about utility scams can be found here: www.atmosenergy.com/customer-service/beware– utility-scams.