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Consumer Fraud - Residential - New York Water - Liberty

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Utility customers are frequent targets of fraud. Scammers can use emails, phone calls or text messages to trick you into giving them your personal information. The information below is intended to help you identify legitimate messages, calls and visits from Liberty to help you avoid falling for a scam. 

If something seems suspicious, call us at 1-877-426-6999 TDD: 711 and report the incident to your local police department.

Red Flags
Red Flags

If any of the following occur, end contact immediately and report the occurrence to Liberty or your local police department.

  • Requests for payment over the phone by prepaid credit card

  • Calls on the weekend demanding immediate payment
  • Individuals requesting payment or offering services that are not in a Liberty vehicle, do not have a company identification card, and are not wearing a Liberty logo/uniform

  • Emails requesting personal, account, or financial information

  • Emails including attachments, unless you’ve contacted us to specifically request the information
Valid Practices
Valid Practices

The following are examples of valid practices you can expect from Liberty. Liberty employees will never call or email you to ask for payment. We provide various payment options, two of which are done online or over the phone. Those two methods are: 

  • Paperless Billing – This allows you to pay your Liberty bill using secure online access through MyAccount
  • One-time payments using your credit card, debit card or ACH, online or by phone 

We will not threaten immediate disconnection via phone or email for non-payment. We will notify you before a disconnection by mail, door tag and/or by phone during normal business hours. A field representative with proper identification may also notify you in person.

If you receive a call or visit that appears suspicious, always end the contact immediately and report it to local law enforcement. You may also call Liberty at 1-877-426-6999 TDD: 711 to check on your account status and verify whether the contact is legitimate. 

This is important information for everyone, not just Liberty customers. If you have family or friends who may be at risk of falling for one of these scams, we encourage you to discuss these tips with them.

Consumer Fraud

Frequently Asked Questions


  • We advise customers to only use authorized payment partners. Payments made through unauthorized bill pay services are not guaranteed. Some online vendors may present themselves as official payment partners, but only the vendors listed on this website guarantee your payment will be received by Liberty in a timely manner. You can find a full list of authorized payment options here.

  • In some fraud cases, a person will go door-to-door pretending to be a representative of a public utility company and ask to enter a customer’s premises.

    Please note that it is company policy for all Liberty employees to wear a photo ID badge with their name and company logo while they are on the job. Always ask for a photo ID from anyone knocking at your door.

    If you have any concerns and wish to verify an individual’s status as our authorized representative, please call us at 1-877-426-6999 TDD: 711.

    Do not let anyone into your premises until you confirm whom they represent. If in doubt, call your local police, or, if you feel threatened, call 911.

  • Liberty may send the following types of communications by email:

    1. Paperless Bill (e-Bill)
      Electronic bills are only sent to customers who subscribe to this service. Collections notices or alerts regarding your automatic payment plan will never be sent by email. 

    2. Survey Invitations
      We participate in J.D. Power's annual satisfaction survey of utility customers. You may receive an invitation to complete a survey via email. At no time will you be asked to provide personal information to complete the survey, and we will never request payment through the survey website.

    3. Newsletters
      Customers may receive an electronic newsletter with news from Liberty, savings tips and other offers. Again, payment or personal information will never be requested. 

    4. Emergency Communication
      In the event of an emergency, Liberty may send important safety information by email. Payment will never be requested as part of these messages.

     
    If you receive a suspicious email, please call us at 1-877-426-6999 TDD: 711.

  • The use of voice-over-internet allows some fraudulent callers to change their call display information. Even a fraudulent call may appear to be from a local area code, or from Liberty. Be sure to verify the identity of anyone who claims to be representing Liberty. 

    There are four pieces of information only a Liberty representative would know about your account. Ask anyone claiming to be a representative to verify these options to ensure you can trust them:

    1. What is my service address?
    2. What is my billing address?
    3. What is my utility account number?
    4. What is the phone number associated with my account?

    It is also good practice to ask for a call-back number. If the caller hesitates to provide a phone number and extension, be suspicious. 

    If you are contacted by anyone claiming to be a Liberty representative and you cannot verify their identity, do not provide any personal financial information and terminate the call. 

    Please note: Before any service disconnection can take place, Liberty is required to send a written notice to any customer at risk of having service shut off. After the notice has been sent, customers will receive an automated follow-up call asking them to visit our website or call their local Customer Service number (1-877-426-6999 TDD: 711) to make a payment.

  • Liberty does administer Customer Satisfaction Surveys by phone and online. Your feedback is essential and helps guide our priority setting activities. We work only with experienced survey providers and customer responses are always anonymous.

    Liberty and our approved partners will never ask for your Social Security Number during any phone or online survey. If you receive a call from someone claiming to represent Liberty, and they ask you to verify personal financial information, please end the call immediately.

  • Do not let anyone into your premises until you confirm whom they represent. If in doubt, call your local police, or, if you feel threatened, call 911. If you suspect a caller is not legitimate, please end the call immediately. 

    We appreciate being notified of any attempted phone, in person, or online fraud. Please call us at 1-877-426-6999 TDD: 711. We will keep this webpage updated with new information as it is provided and verified.

    • Never share your personal information with an unknown source.
    • Liberty will never ask for immediate payment to maintain service.
    • If you are scheduled for disconnection due to nonpayment, you will have received a written notice about the past due balance that includes the actions you can take to maintain service.
    • If your caller ID says “Liberty” is calling, it may not be accurate. Scammers can fake the number they are calling from and trick you into providing personal information.
    • Whenever possible, shred your old utility bills or any other kind of statement. Do not place them in your recycling bin. 
    • Carefully read all of your utility bills, credit card statements, and credit reports on a regular basis. This will help you identify if anybody is using your name to apply for credit cards, wireless device contracts, utility payments, check reorder, mortgages, or loan applications.
    • Unless you have enrolled in secure Paperless Billing, Liberty will never request payment by email. Be suspicious of any email from your utility or financial institution that requests payment or account validation.