The insider angle
Three things ConEd will never do
Ask for a prepaid card
ConEd does not accept Green Dot, Vanilla, or any prepaid debit card. Anyone demanding payment that way is a scammer.
Threaten same-day disconnect
By NY PSC rule, ConEd must mail a final disconnection notice 15 days before any cutoff. If a caller threatens disconnection within an hour, hang up.
Ask for SSN or banking info cold
If ConEd needs to verify your account, they will ask you to confirm the last 4 digits of the SSN on file, not the full number; never ask you to provide bank routing info over the phone unsolicited.
Recurring ConEd scam patterns
All confirmed by reports to ConEd customer service and the NY DPS Office of Consumer Services.
Pattern 1
Prepaid-card disconnect threat
A caller (sometimes a spoofed ConEd number) tells the customer their service will be cut off within minutes unless they buy a Green Dot Money Pak and read the number over the phone. Mostly targets small businesses. Always a scam: ConEd never accepts prepaid cards.
Pattern 2
Fake "government credit" identity theft
A caller offers a "federal credit" toward the utility bill and asks for SSN and account number. The "payment" comes from a fake bank account; the customer\'s identity is stolen, and ConEd later notifies them payment was not received.
Pattern 3
Doorstep "rebate" cash collection
A person in a fake uniform with a fake badge offers a bill rebate or "promotion" in exchange for cash on the spot. ConEd does not collect cash door to door. Ask for the badge, then call ConEd to verify before paying anything.
Pattern 4
High-pressure ESCO door sales
Not always fraudulent, but consistently misleading. Door reps from ESCOs claim to be "with ConEd" or promise unrealistic savings. The PSC repeatedly finds the average residential ESCO customer pays more than the utility default. NY UBP rules give you a 3-day cancellation window if you signed under pressure.
How ConEd disconnection actually works
Under 16 NYCRR Part 11 (the NY PSC rules), ConEd can only disconnect residential service under specific conditions:
- ·The customer has failed to pay a bill within 12 months;
- ·Or missed payments on a deferred-payment agreement;
- ·Or failed to pay a required deposit;
- ·Or has not paid for service installation;
- ·And only after a final notice mailed at least 15 days before the disconnection date.
Disconnection itself can only happen Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., excluding public holidays, never during the Christmas / New Year cold-weather period, and never on a day ConEd\'s main business office is closed. There is also a cold-weather disconnection ban for households that include elderly residents, children, or someone with a medical condition.
Translation: if you actually missed a payment, you will receive multiple written warnings before ConEd takes any action. A surprise "we are cutting you off in an hour" call is a scam, full stop.
Authorised ConEd payment channels
If you doubt a payment instruction, fall back to one of these:
- ·Bank account via My Account at coned.com, AutoPay, or the Payment Express line 1-888-925-5016.
- ·Credit / debit card through BillMatrix at 1-888-747-1532 ($3.35 fee).
- ·Mail a check or money order to Con Edison, JAF Station, P.O. Box 1702, New York, NY 10116-1702.
- ·In person at any ConEd walk-in center. See the customer-service guide.
ConEd never accepts prepaid debit cards, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or wire transfers to out-of-state banks.
If you think you were scammed
- 1.Call ConEd at 1-800-752-6633 to confirm your account status and report the incident.
- 2.File a police report with your local precinct. Important for any insurance claim.
- 3.File a complaint with the NY DPS Office of Consumer Services at dps.ny.gov or call 1-800-342-3377.
- 4.If your identity was used: place a fraud alert with the three credit bureaus and file with the FTC at identitytheft.gov.
- 5.Set up AutoPay on your ConEd account. It removes the urgency a future scam call relies on.
Frequently asked questions
No. ConEd never accepts prepaid debit cards as payment. If someone calls and demands you pay your bill with Green Dot, Vanilla, or any other prepaid card, it is a scam. Hang up and call 1-800-752-6633 to verify your account status.
No. Under the NY PSC rules, ConEd must send a final disconnection notice at least 15 days before any actual disconnection, and can disconnect only on Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., excluding holidays. Any "we will disconnect in an hour" call is a scam.
Hang up. Call 1-800-752-6633 using the number printed on your bill or ConEd's official website. Real ConEd reps will not mind you doing this; scammers will. If a person rings your doorbell claiming to be from ConEd, ask for the photo ID badge; if they refuse, do not let them in.
Three steps. (1) Call ConEd at 1-800-752-6633 and report the incident. (2) Call your local police department to file a report. (3) File a complaint with the NY DPS Office of Consumer Services at dps.ny.gov or 1-800-342-3377. If you sent money via prepaid card or wire, you may not recover it, but reporting helps stop the next victim.
Not necessarily, but high-pressure ESCO door sales are the most common consumer complaint to the PSC. They are not ConEd employees. Never give your 15-digit account number to a door-to-door seller; the PSC has repeatedly found that mass-market ESCO customers pay more than the utility default. If you signed under pressure, NY UBP rules give you a 3 business-day cancellation window.
Call the DPS Office of Consumer Services at 1-800-342-3377 or file online at dps.ny.gov. The complaint process is free, and DPS investigates on your behalf. It is the primary state-level escalation route for ConEd and ESCO issues.
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