Marissa Travaline on pandemic scams
From Pandemic Scams with Marissa Travaline · · Jersey Matters
“What we're seeing is just more customers who are currently in arrears and the reason this is so timely is there are folks who are now behind on their utility bills for the first time perhaps. They may have never fallen behind before and they don't know what to expect or what kind of options they have available to them, and scammers are really taking advantage of that.”
On , Marissa Travaline, Vice President of Customer Service, Marketing & Energy Efficiency at NEW JERSEY RESOURCES CORP, spoke about pandemic scams 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.