(Alerta de estafa de servicio eléctrico*)
Electric cooperatives in South Carolina are warning consumers to be aware of scam artists who are calling members posing as electric co-op employees. The callers tell a consumer that immediate payment is needed to avoid disconnection of utility services. The callers then provide instructions to send money via a third-party pay system.
[PDF] Service Scam Alert
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Palmetto Electric Cooperative, which serves consumer-members in Allendale, Beaufort, Hampton and Jasper counties, last week was alerted to the scam by members who were concerned about the payment-seeking callers. In those instances, the suspicious calls were coming from an Arkansas area code.
Horry Electric Cooperative, which serves Horry County, has had several reports of businesses being targeted from an area code in Indiana.
“If you receive a suspicious call regarding your utility bill, get the caller’s number then hang up and call police,” said Penelope Hinson, Horry Electric Cooperative spokesperson. “Never give your credit card number or other personal information over the phone without verifying the call.”
Members should also contact their local utility to report the incident. By calling the co-op directly, you can talk to a service representative who will confirm your bill and let you know of any problems with your account.
Co-ops will not call or email you for your account number or password, so keep your account information to yourself. Also, don’t assume that you can trust caller ID to let you know where a caller is located. Because scammers may use Internet calling technology, the area code you see may not reflect where they really are.
About The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina, Inc.
The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina, Inc. is the state association of independent, member-owned electric cooperatives. More than 1.5 million South Carolinians in all 46 counties use power provided by electric cooperatives. Together, the co-ops operate the state’s largest electric power system with more than 70,000 miles of power lines across 70 percent of the state. More information is available at www.scliving.coop.
*Alerta de estafa de servicio eléctrico
York Electric esta alertando a los consumidores de una estafa, que implica individuos que llaman a miembros haciéndose pasar por representantes de Electric Cooperatives.
Los estafadores indican que el pago es requerido de inmediato, para evitar la desconexión del servicio eléctrico.
Algunos consumidores han informado que las llamadas sospechosas aparecen en el identificador de llamadas como 870-210-8600. York Electric esta avisando que cualquier llamada recibida por este numero u otro numero sospechoso debe ser reportado a las autoridades locales.
Usted nunca debe proporcionar información personal o números de tarjetas de crédito cuando reciba una llamada sospechosa. Si un miembro recibe una llamada sospechosa, correo, correo electrónico u otro tipo de contacto inusual u oferta de una persona o compañía haciéndose pasar por empleado de York Electric, el miembro debe terminar la llamada inmediatamente y contactar a las autoridades.
Los consumidores también deben llamar a York Electric a (803) 684-4248 para reportar el incidente. Los representantes del servicio al cliente pueden ayudarlo a confirmar el pago o balance en la cuenta.
Related Topics:
Phone Scam Investigation Requested
Swindlers Target Co-op Members