- Given the worrying increase in fraudulent practices, Endesa launched the 'Check who called you' search tool on its website to help its customers identify calls from telephone numbers not authorised by the company.
- Among the irregularities detected in these fraudulent calls are impersonation, deceptive promises, financial threats and improper charges. The figures are alarming: 1 in every 5 domestic customers (and 1 in every 7 SMEs) have fallen victim to the scam and have had their supplier switched without express consent.
- The company has launched a series of initiatives to alert and empower consumers, including information campaigns on social media, with practical tips and alert messages on its corporate blog. Endesa's latest awareness action has been a series of true crime-style videos, which are available primarily on its social media channels (YouTube and Facebook):
- Endesa reaffirms its commitment to consumer protection, transparency and fair competition in the energy market.
Since its launch at the end of September, the 'Check who called you' tool, available on the Endesa website, has received more than 255,000 visits, representing 6% of total traffic to the company's corporate website. Of these, 169,000 users have checked a telephone number and the data is alarming: more than 90% of the numbers correspond to telephone numbers not authorised by Endesa, which confirms its usefulness as a protection mechanism against fraudulent commercial practices.
The launch of the search tool has been one of many awareness and dissemination actions against scams that Endesa has put into place this year in the face of the alarming increase in fraudulent practices aimed at users of energy services. Scammers are impersonating Endesa sales agents, other major companies, and even the local distributor to make fraudulent contracts. And Endesa's objective is clear: to protect users against phone scams and abusive commercial practices that impersonate the company.
Evidence across the sector shows that the main channel for these fraudulent practices is the telephone, and these malicious calls end up moving the customer from one company to another, often without them realising and, of course, without their consent. The figures are alarming: 1 in every 5 domestic customers (and 1 in every 7 SMEs) have fallen victim to the scam and have had their supplier switched without express consent.
In any case, it must be kept in mind that these calls are not related to Endesa’s business or data processing activities. Endesa always adopts the appropriate technical and organisational security measures to prevent alteration, misuse and processing, or unauthorised access, for all channels and their systems.
Endesa: all sales undergo quality control
Endesa Energía, Endesa's retail arm in the liberalised market, applies an exhaustive control system to ensure that its sales force acts with total transparency and legality. These are the main measures it applies:
- Contractual clauses with providers to prevent misselling.
- Mandatory identification of the agent to the customer.
- Exclusive use of legal databases.
- Full recording of the sales call in the event of a sale.
- Verified customer consent.
- Quality control prior to contract activation:
- Data verification
- Confirmation calls
- Call audits
- Subsequent control via satisfaction surveys.
- Adaptation to the General Telecommunications Act:
- Reinforced agent training
- Ban on random calls
- Verification of registration on the Robinson List (the opt-out register)
- Continuous evaluation of providers:
- Monitoring of complaints
- Analysis of rejection reasons
- Corrective measures:
- Financial penalties
- Early termination of contracts
In addition:
- 100% of sales calls are monitored.
- Partner companies have quality objectives linked to financial penalties if they are not met.
- The quality and 'Voice of Customer' department proactively contacts a representative sample of almost 9,000 customers a year to conduct interviews and verify their satisfaction with the sign-up process.
Reinforcement on social media: #StopPhishing campaign
In addition to the launch of the search tool, Endesa is running a major information campaign on social media via the official Endesa Clientes account, with key messages such as:
- #Phishing is everywhere – via SMS, email, and even WhatsApp. We will never ask you for your credit card details.'
- 'Do you know how to detect #phishing when you receive it? Spelling mistakes, suspicious emails and requests for bank details are warning signs.'
- 'ATTENTION! We have detected impersonation attempts on Instagram and Facebook. Ignore any account that is not official.'
These posts have also been accompanied by a campaign to warn of these fraudulent practices on radio and on the Endesa website, as well as through the new digital magazine 'ON' that Endesa sends to its customers. Similarly, practical tips and links to the Endesa corporate blog have been prepared, detailing the main methods of fraud and how to act against them, and the company has even emailed its entire customer base to highlight the search tool, which is also being promoted on customer bills.
The latest awareness action has been the production of a series of true crime-style videos, which are available primarily on the company's social media channels (YouTube and Facebook):
- 'Endesa helps you fight scams' video (call checking): Available on the Endesa YouTube channel.
- 'If you are suspicious of a call, Endesa helps you investigate it' video (Facebook): You can watch it on the Endesa Clientes Facebook page.
Commitment to transparency
Endesa reiterates its commitment to transparency, business ethics and the active defence of consumer rights. The company will continue working with public authorities, consumer associations and the sector as a whole to eradicate these bad practices and build an energy model based on trust, free choice and respect for the customer. Because these actions, which affect both domestic customers and small businesses, represent a serious violation of consumer rights and distort the correct functioning of the electricity market.
About Endesa
Endesa is the leading electricity company in Spain and the second largest in Portugal. It is also the second largest gas operator in the Spanish market. Endesa operates an integrated business model spanning electricity generation, distribution, and supply. Furthermore, the company offers value-added services focused on the electrification of energy use for households, businesses, and public administrations. Endesa is committed to the United Nations’ SDGs and corporate social responsibility. In the latter area, it also operates through the Endesa Foundation. Our team comprises around 9,000 employees. Endesa is part of Enel.