Protect Yourself at the Door

Protect Yourself at the Door One-Pager: Download and use CUB’s handout to keep your household and community safe from utility scams or if ICE agents portray themselves as utility workers at your door.

What to Do If Someone Shows Up at Your Door Claiming to Be a Utility Worker

Keeping our communities safe and informed is part of what we do here at CUB. Because it is uncommon for a utility worker to show up at your door, you need the tools to know if this is real or a scam, or other deception. These tactics are often employed against our elders, non-English speakers, and working-class communities. We have also seen examples of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) pretending to be utility workers in other states, though this is not yet a trend in Oregon.

While there are reasons utility workers will come to your door, it’s important to be prepared in the face of deception. Read on to learn more about how to protect yourself and your community!

What to Expect From a Real Utility Worker at Your Door

While there are reasons why a utility worker might be doing service in your area, it is uncommon to have someone come to your door. At your door, a utility worker should provide badging upon request when interacting with a customer. Look for a utility-branded vehicle outside, as well.

Situations where a field tech would be at your door include:

• At your request, the customer
• The utility has given you prior notice through your preferred form of contact, including a disconnection notice
• There is a gas leak called in by a neighbor

Oftentimes, a utility worker will show up at a site, or check a meter, and leave door hangers informing a resident that they have done service or accessed a meter on the property. In the case of a gas leak, a field technician could show up without much notice, but the utility will always try to communicate with the residents of the property first. 

In case of a disconnection notice, your utility may come to your door with a 5-day notice. In these cases, keep the following information in mind:

• A utility worker will not solicit payment through payment platforms like Venmo, Cash App, Zelle, or through gift cards.
• By Oregon law, a utility worker dealing with an on-site disconnection for non-payment could accept partial payment provided by the resident, at the resident’s request.

If you see any deviation from this, call your utility.

What to Do If Someone Claims to Be With Your Utility

Because utilities are so important to our lives and homes, bad actors pretending to be utility employees can create confusion and stress. That is, unfortunately, what makes these types of scams and deceptions so successful.

Earlier this year, a Tucson Electric Power customer in Arizona had two men show up at their home looking for someone at the residence and claiming to be with the utility. The men turned out to be ICE agents, deceiving the homeowner into finding a Tucson community member. In Detroit, Michigan, we’ve seen a string of scams and crimes committed by people claiming to be utility workers. Here in Portland, CUB’s Executive Director had someone from a rooftop solar company claiming they were from his electric utility. While crimes and ICE deception with false utility workers are not currently a major threat in Oregon, it’s important to be prepared.

Remember Normal Utility Policies

Oftentimes, an individual up to no good will approach, asking to speak with a targeted person at the home. They may apply pressure by claiming that refusal to open the door and talk will result in a disconnection. It’s important to stay calm and remember a couple of key things:

• A disconnection notice will always be communicated long before an actual disconnection occurs, minimum 15 days before, and again 5 days before.
• Most electric disconnections and reconnections happen remotely.

It’s important to remember that you are never obligated to answer the door or open the door. If you are worried about ICE in your community or scammers at the door, your first line of defense is refusing to interact.

• Check for Utility Logos on Clothing: Utility employees will have the company’s logo displayed clearly on their clothing. This includes high visibility (yellow, green, or orange) vests, shirts, and jackets. If you do not see your utility’s logo, this is likely not someone from your utility. Look for a utility-branded vehicle outside, as well.
• Check Communications: Check and see if you have any communications from your utility. Have they reached out about a field tech coming to your door? Have they reached out to warn you that you are at risk of a disconnection? If you don’t have any communication from your utility, that is a sign that this might be a fake interaction at the door.

You Do Not Have to Open the Door

If you suspect that the individuals at your door are not who they say they are, or you feel that the situation is not right, do not open the door. Remember, you are not required to speak with anyone at your door, and they can’t make you open up.

Criminals and scams rely on social graces and people’s desire to cooperate to get what they want. If you don’t feel safe, it is ok and necessary to take a step away to disengage. Think about your safety and that of your community first.

Steps to Take If You Have Interacted

Sometimes, you don’t realize an interaction feels off until you have already opened the door. Once you’ve got the name of the utility the person is claiming to represent, ask for identification, close the door, and call your utility’s hotline:

• Portland General Electric (PGE): 1-800-743-5000
• Pacific Power: 1-888-221-7070
• Idaho Power: 1-800488-6151
• NW Natural 1-800-422-4012
• Avista: 1-800-227-9187
• Cascade: 1-888-522-1130

When you speak to customer service, ask if they are expecting any utility workers in the area or at your address. Make sure to inform your utility of the suspicious activity as well.

If you can get a good look at the individual at your door, take a photo of them and any vehicle they may be traveling in, if they are not clearly a utility employee.

Rise in ICE Activities and Ways to Protect Your Community

We find ourselves in a scary moment where the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is seeking to massively expand its enforcement. This means we’re seeing not only undocumented community members being picked off the streets, but also Legal Permanent Residents (LPRs/Green Card Holders), asylum seekers, Authorized Aliens, and even U.S. citizens being targeted.

It’s not just our immigrant neighbors being impacted. Having immigration enforcement operate in dishonest ways exposes everyone in our communities, including you, to come in contact with and be hurt by the ICE presence.

Think as a community, think as an ally.

On June 3rd, ICE portrayed themselves as utility workers for Tucson Electric Power Utility in Arizona in an attempt to deceive to gain access to the home. The only reason this was stopped was because a neighbor saw the suspicious figures and began warning the family of the scheme at hand.

ICE is in our communities and attempting to take our neighbors. If you see something suspicious, tell your community. Document the instance and keep an eye out for the folks being targeted.

Call and report possible ICE activity to local immigrant rights groups and keep your community informed and watchful:

Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition (PIRC): 1-888-622-1510
The PIRC Hotline is for any suspected ICE activity. Remember to be CLEAR with the information you provide: Count, Location, Equipment, Activity, and Report Time.

Oregon Department of Justice (ODOJ): 1-844-926-7829
Use the Oregon Department of Justice hotline only if you suspect that Oregon’s sanctuary state laws are being violated.

Graphics from Barrio Drive, providing useful Know Your Rights information.

Know Your Rights

ICE and scammers alike use dishonest tactics to get what they want. To protect yourself, remember and know your rights:

• Do Not Open The Door: Your 4th Amendment rights under the U.S. Constitution protect you from unreasonable searches and seizures by the government unless they have a warrant to enter signed by a judge or magistrate with your name on it.
• Do Not Answer Any Questions: If any Immigration agent tries to talk to you, you have the right to remain silent based on your 5th Amendment rights under the U.S. Constitution.
• Do Not Sign Anything: Tell the agent that you choose to exercise your constitutional rights. Don’t sign anything without speaking to a lawyer first

You have the right to speak to a lawyer!

Stay Up to Date on Oregon Utility Issues

CUB will continue to advocate for people in Oregon on major utility issues. Sign up for the CUB email list for the latest updates, action alerts, and news on policies that affect the utilities your home relies on.

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