Aug 01, 2021

Greenville Water Warns Customers to BE ALERT for Scammers Impersonating Water Utility Workers

Greenville Water is warning customers to beware of people claiming to represent the utility to gain access to their homes.

Greenville Water was made aware of an incident at a customer’s residence in Travelers Rest where two individuals, a male, and a female, came to their home around 9:00 p.m., claiming they were there to test the water. Both individuals were wearing Greenville Water shirts, but since the customer did not see a Greenville Water vehicle, they did not allow them access to their residence.

The suspects do not work for the utility. Greenville Water crews will never try to gain access to a property without prior authorization or a scheduled appointment initiated by the customer.

Customers should always verify the identification of all utility employees coming to their homes. Greenville Water employees drive distinctively marked Greenville Water vehicles, wear uniforms with Greenville Water logo patches and carry a Greenville Water photo identification card.

Additionally, Greenville Water will never come to a customer’s home after 5:00 p.m. unless the customer has initiated the request or if there is an emergency such as a water outage, a water main leak or water line break.

“Greenville Water considers the safety of our customers to be a top priority, and we want to reassure our customers that they can trust us but that it is always good to be cautious when in doubt,” said Greenville Water Public Relations Manager, Emerald Clark. “In the case of the individual who encountered these scammers, they did the right thing by not allowing these individuals to gain access to their home and reporting it to Greenville Water.”

Greenville Water asks that customers be aware of the following information:

• — Please ask for an ID badge from anyone arriving at your home claiming to be from Greenville Water. Legitimate employees will be happy to show you their ID if you ask. Customers can also call the utility to verify the identification of the employee.
• — Greenville Water does not dispatch a technician to investigate high water usage or test water quality without the customer requesting the service.
  • — Any testing done in response to a customer inquiry will be scheduled ahead of time with the customer. The type of testing required will determine if a Greenville Water employee will need to enter the customer’s home, but, in most cases, all testing can be done from outside.
  • — Routine water quality testing can be performed at the water meter.
• — While Greenville Water does accept payments over the phone and the internet, employees never make calls asking for any financial information or direct payment. Please never volunteer payment details without calling Greenville Water first.
• — If customers want to pay their bill over the internet or over the phone, it is encouraged to only do so when they initiate the transaction.
• — If customers receive a call or email asking for bank or credit card information, it is probably a scam, they should hang up, and call 864-241-6000 to report it to Greenville Water.
• — Do not allow anyone to enter your home claiming to collect a past-due bill, make an inspection, or to sell utility products such as a meter or other equipment. Greenville Water staff do not engage in door-to-door sales, do not collect a past-due bill in person, and do not deliver rebates or refunds.

If someone claiming to be from Greenville Water shows up at a customer’s door asking for access, they should not allow the individual access to their home if they are not sure of any person’s identity. If a customer fears for their safety, they should call 911 immediately to report the suspicious behavior. It is also important to report this information to Greenville Water’s Customer Service Department by calling 864-241-6000.

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