Meralco customers warned vs bills payment scam perpetrators

The Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) is urging its customers to be wary of unscrupulous individuals volunteering to pay their electric bills for them.

Meralco issued this warning after an individual was nabbed issuing a stolen and fake manager’s check in paying for the bill of another customer.

"We received information that there are cases of persons preying on our customers who are usually outside the branch office. While the customers wait to pay their electric bills, they approach their intended victims, befriend them and volunteer to pay the customers‚ electric bills on the latter’s behalf. At times, these individuals pose as Meralco employees and offer discounts on the bill. After getting the money, these persons will pay the victim’s bill using a check with closed account or a fake or stolen managers’ check. The suspects will give the validated Meralco statement or official receipt to prove actual payment. However, these checks will eventually bounce causing the bill to remain unpaid. After a couple of days, the victim will realize that he has been cheated after receiving a notice on the returned check," Meralco vice president Elpi Cuña Jr. said.

Cuña clarified that Meralco has not authorized nor deployed anyone including its branch personnel to receive payments outside the branch office.

He added that customers must pay only at the Meralco branch office counters or through third party agents like Bayad Centers.

Another innovative way of paying electricity bills may be through the automatic debit arrangement (ADA). Through the ADA option, a customer may authorize his bank to debit the bill amount from his account on the due date and remit the payment to Meralco.

"In the event they are approached by strangers volunteering to pay their bill for them, I would advise our customers to immediately call the attention of our security people so that these individuals can be immediately accosted," Cuna said.