NC electric cooperative warns of utility bill scam targeting both individuals and businesses

Press Release

From North Carolina Electric Cooperatives:

RALEIGH, N.C. (February 5, 2014) – North Carolina’s electric cooperatives are warning members to beware of a utility bill scam targeting individuals and businesses statewide. Scam activity has increased significantly in the last few days.

Cooperative members across North Carolina have received phone calls from imposters claiming to be a representative of their electric cooperative and demanding payment. Often scammers ask for personal account information or threaten to disconnect service if immediate payment is not made by prepaid credit or debit card. In some cases, scammers have even falsified their caller ID to reflect a utility company’s name.

North Carolina’s electric cooperatives will never call members to demand immediate payment or to ask for account or personal information. Never give out your banking or credit card information to someone who has called regarding your account. If you receive a suspicious call from someone claiming to represent your electric cooperative, hang up and call your cooperative (caution: DO NOT use the fake number that appears on your caller ID!), and report the scam attempt to local law enforcement.

For contact information for each of North Carolina’s 26 electric cooperatives, visit www.ncelectriccooperatives.com/co-ops/coopList.htm.

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About Hayley Benton
Current freelance journalist and artist. Former culture/entertainment reporter at the Asheville Citizen-Times and former news reporter at Mountain Xpress. Also a coffee drinker, bad photographer, teller of stupid jokes and maker-upper of words. I can be reached at hayleyebenton [at] gmail.com. Follow me @HayleyTweeet

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