CHARLOTTE -- Duke Energy is warning customers about a new scam taking hold across all six of the states it serves, including here in North Carolina.
The “past-due scam”, as it’s called, works like this -- a scammer posing as a Duke Energy employee calls a customer, telling them their bill is past due, threatening to shut off service unless the customer pays up immediately.
Duke Energy said the imposters often ask for that immediate payment via pre-paid debit cards, gift cards or MoneyGrams so the customer’s money cannot be traced or recovered.
"[The scammers] will send [customers] to a particular business to buy that prepaid card and then tell them to come back and give them the number off of that prepaid card,” said Vice President of Revenue Services at Duke Energy Jared Lawrence. ”And once the customer calls back and does that, and gives away that number, it’s extremely difficult to track the scammer, and it’s extremely difficult to get the customer’s money back."
The Better Business Bureau has also received complaints about the scam and warns customers to not fall for caller ID, because it can be easily faked.
“These guys are making it say ‘Duke Power’ to add that level of authenticity," said BBB of South Piedmont President Tom Bartholomy. “They tell you you haven’t paid your bill and unless you pay it right now your power is going to be cut off. They won’t take your credit card over the phone; they don’t want your credit card. You can have that stopped.”
Duke Energy warns customers who think they are being scammed to hang up immediately, contact police and then call Duke Energy directly to clarify.
For more tips on this scam and others, visit the BBB’s website.