Marissa Travaline on scam tactics
From Pandemic Scams with Marissa Travaline · · Jersey Matters
“Scammers are able to create a sense of urgency among a customer to potentially take an action without really thinking it through, often prompting customers to purchase gift cards or payment cards or use unfamiliar apps to pay their bills. Those kinds of things should create an alarm for a customer.”
On , Marissa Travaline, Vice President of Customer Service, Marketing & Energy Efficiency at NEW JERSEY RESOURCES CORP, spoke about scam tactics during Pandemic Scams with Marissa Travaline on Jersey Matters.
About Marissa Travaline
In a September 2021 interview, Marissa Travaline, then Vice President of Customer Experience at South Jersey Industries, discussed an increase in utility scams during the pandemic. She stated that scammers were targeting customers who were behind on bills for the first time, creating a sense of urgency by threatening immediate shutoffs. Travaline noted that New Jersey had a moratorium on shutoffs at the time, and advised customers to contact their utility directly or use online portals to verify account balances. She reported that customers in Gloucester and Cumberland counties had lost thousands of dollars to these scams. Travaline said that South Jersey Industries does not directly pursue scammers but works with law enforcement when needed. She encouraged customers who fall victim to contact local police, adding that the company would assist with payment arrangements and provide information to support investigations. Her comments focused on public awareness and directing customers to verify communications through official utility channels.