​​The first step to protecting yourself is to recognize suspicious activity. This can take many forms, such as:

• Someone pretending to be a Broward County Water and Wastewater Services (hereinafter referred to as Water and Wastewater Services) employee or contractor to gain access to your home
• A company claiming to be Water and Wastewater Services or associated with us to solicit your personal information or sell their products and services over​​ the telephone or through the mail
• Emails or websites that appear to be from Water and Wastewater Services and require you to provide personal information​

How to protect yourself

Water and Wastewater Services employees are regularly in neighborhoods for reasons including reading or working on water meters and maintaining water and sewer lines. However, we occasionally hear reports in the news of people posing as utility employees. Please remember that all Water and Wastewater Services employees carry a photo identification badge and our contractors have a contractor badge or can provide a work request number and a Water and Wastewater Services supervisor name and number. Ask to see it and call us to verify, if you are in doubt.
Also, it’s important to remember that Water and Wastewater Services will not:

• Ask to come into your home. There is typically no reason why our staff would ever need to enter your home. If staff did need to enter your home, we would make arrangements in advance of coming to your home.
• Solicit personal information over the telephone, unless you initiated the contact
• Send emails threatening to close your account if you do not take the immediate action of providing personal information
• Send employees to your home offering cash refunds on deposits or electric charges. We either credit your account or mail a check to your utility service address

 When you encounter suspicious activity that involves Water and Wastewater Services' name or likeness:

• Ask to see the photo identification badge or work request number from suspicious individuals on your property who claim to be Water and Wastewater Services employees or Water and Wastewater Services’ contractors
• Contact us at (954) 831-3250 to verify whether the individuals are truly Water and Wastewater Services employees or Water and Wastewater Services contractors
• Do not allow anyone into your home if you feel suspicious, unsure or confused as to why they are there - Water and Wastewater Services employees have no reason to enter your home
• Do not provide personal information over the phone unless you called us
• Ignore any suspicious claims to provide personal information such as bank account numbers, user names and passwords, credit card numbers or Social Security number
• Delete suspicious emails that require you to act immediately to verify or provide personal information. If you are unsure of a suspicious email, forward it to us at WWS_CUSTOMER_SVC@broward.orgto verify its authenticity.
• Delete any emails from utilities with whom you’re not a customer
• Do not respond to suspicious emails. Responding often results in even more spam and scam attempts directed at you
• Do not trust contact information provided in suspicious emails​