February 9, 2012 – SaskPower wants the public to be aware of an ongoing telemarketing scam that could end up costing people hundreds of dollars.

“We’ve received reports from a number of customers who have been contacted by telephone and encouraged to purchase a product that the caller claims will cut their power use in half,” said Garry Tollefson, manager, SaskPower Demand Side Management programs. “We want customers to be aware that this is not a SaskPower or government offering.”

The caller claims to be a representative of SaskPower promoting a product that reduces power consumption and benefits the environment. People are then asked to pay cash on delivery upon receipt of the product. SaskPower does not contact residential customers by phone to promote products or services, with the exception of surveys for research purposes.

“The product might sound tempting, but there is no magic device that will reduce your power use,” Tollefson said. “Conserving electricity is achieved through a combination of behaviour and appliance or equipment changes… from small things like turning lights and electronics off when you’re not using them, to bigger things such as upgrading to energy-efficient appliances.”

People who have received calls of this nature should report the call to Phonebusters (the Canadian Anti-fraud Call Centre) at (888) 495-8501. For those who have already provided personal financial information, including bank account or credit card numbers over the phone, they should report the matter to their local police, as well as immediately contacting their financial institutions.