Appalachian Power is joining forces with more than 20 gas and electric utility companies across the United States and Canada to protect customers from long-running scams.
These utilities have designated Wednesday, November 16, as Utilities United Against Scams Day.
Appalachian and other utilities are exposing the tricks scammers use to steal money from customers.
According to Jeri Matheney, Appalachian director of communications, scammers are targeting local businesses, senior citizens and customers whose native language is not English.
“We’re sharing this information so customers can protect themselves from this fraudulent activity,” Matheney said.
Thieves are calling Appalachian customers and doing the following
• Threatening to shut off power unless an immediate payment is made;
• Telling customers they need a new electric meter, but must make a payment before the new meter is installed;
• Offering a discount on Appalachian bills when they sign up for auto-pay;
• Demanding a deposit is paid immediately.
Here are a few red flags that indicate scam activity:
The thief instructs the customer to purchase a pre-paid debit or credit card—widely available at retail stores—then call him or her back to supposedly make a payment to Appalachian Power.
The scammer asks the customer for the prepaid card’s receipt number and PIN, which grants instant access to the card’s funds.
The scammers are calling from numbers that name Appalachian on the Caller ID, and they have a telephone recording that sounds like Appalachian’s phone system message.
How to protect yourself:
Call Appalachian Power at 1-800-956-4237 to verify your account balance and the date payment is due.
Appalachian will notify customers by mail when their accounts are past due and their service will be disconnected, not as just one single notification one hour before disconnection.
If you suspect someone is trying to scam you, hang up and call the local police and then call Appalachian Power. Never dial the number the scammers provide.
On average, more than 90 percent of customers who receive a call and report it to Appalachian indicate they did not fall for the scam. In the initial stages of the scam, it’s estimated that at least 50 percent of customers contacted were tricked.
Appalachian is working with local, state and federal law-enforcement agencies to identify and prosecute scammers.
For more information, visit AppalachianPower.com or follow Appalachian on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Appalachian has 1 million customers in Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee. It is a unit of American Electric Power, one of the largest electric utilities in the United States.
