(C) Ohio Capital Journal
This story was originally published by Ohio Capital Journal and is unaltered.
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FirstEnergy bribery scandal settlement payments look sketchy but are legit. [1]

['Morgan Trau', 'More From Author', '- September']

Date: 2023-09-05

Then Thursday, OCJ/WEWS shared that customers were having trouble accessing the money.

After that report, FirstEnergy customer Michael Hernandez reached out with another concern.

“There are so many scams out there you don’t know what to believe,” Hernandez said. “That’s why I got a hold of you guys and wondered, is this a scam?”

He didn’t receive the email that OCJ/WEWS previously reported on but was sent a letter. It had a Mastercard with it and explained briefly about the settlement.

“It’s different than the usual one that comes in the mail when I get my credit card or my debit card,” he said.

Case Western Reserve University consumer protection law professor Cathy Lesser Mansfield explained anything that seems “off” should make the consumer pause.

“You have to be very careful,” Lesser Mansfield said. “The scams are so sophisticated these days that you sometimes can’t know what’s a scam and what isn’t.”

The red flags were raised for Hernandez.

“The letter said nothing about any amount of money,” he said.

Not having the settlement amount made the letter seem suspicious and not personalized to him.

So, is it real?

Yes.

One of the attorneys from the lawsuit confirmed to OCJ/WEWS that it is legit.

If FirstEnergy did not have an email address for a customer’s account, they mailed the card instead.

The vendor was supposed to put the dollar amount on the letter but forgot to, the attorney added. The cards were then mailed before a claims administrator caught the error.

“They definitely should have done this a different way,” Hernandez said. “They should have put it in your bill.”

The attorney in the lawsuit agreed — and actually tried to push for that. However, FirstEnergy fought adamantly against putting the money back through utility bills.

This would require tedious steps through the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, according to the attorney.

How much did Hernandez get? Under $8. The average amount is just $15.

“What a crock; $7.80,” Hernandez said. “Government, Edison and Harbor win again.”

Accessing money

OCJ/WEWS reported Thursday that some ratepayers feel they are being victimized twice due to how difficult it is to use the money.

If a customer received a physical card, they are in a much better position to use their money than if they received a digital one.

Digital

Money can only be used for online purchases

Unable to deposit the money into a bank account or cash apps like Venmo

Cannot get cash from it

Can be added to a digital wallet like Apple Pay

After having the card for one year, the company has a monthly inactivity fee of $3.95.

Physical

Money can be used online or in person, with exceptions

Exceptions: ATM, gas pumps, cash access and for recurring payments

After having the card for one year, the company has a monthly inactivity fee of $5.95.

If a customer is getting more than $250.00 from the settlement, they will be mailed a check.

Click here for a thorough PDF on how to access your money.

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[1] Url: https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2023/09/05/firstenergy-bribery-scandal-settlement-payments-look-sketchy-but-are-legit/

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