Warning of Ongoing Utility Scam
March 24th, 2014
Thieves posing as electric utility representatives continue to prey on unsuspecting consumers across the country, including members of Four County EMC. The cooperative urges its members to be aware of this scam and never provide anyone who calls you with personal or account information.
A typical scam scenario happens as follows: A member receives an unsolicited phone call from someone who falsely claims to be a representative of the electric cooperative. That person tells the Four County EMC member that his or her service will be disconnected if the member does not make an immediate payment to the cooperative. In some cases, the scammer insists on receiving payment within an hour and instructs the member to either purchase a prepaid debit card and provide the details of that debit card or turn over credit card information.
Scammers were previously targeting mainly Spanish speaking members, but they have branched out and are now targeting members from many different backgrounds.
If you doubt the identity of someone claiming to represent the cooperative, hang up and call the cooperative at 888-368-7289.
Four County EMC urges its members to be aware of this scam and asks that members share this information with family and friends to help put a stop to it.