Officials with Alabama Power have issued a warning that the company’s customers are the latest targets of phone scammers who try to bilk them out of their money.
Here’s how the scam works:
The caller claims to be a representative of Alabama Power and tells customers their account is past due and that electrical service will be turned off if a payment isn’t made immediately.
The scammer then provides a telephone number to call, which sounds like Alabama Power’s automated customer service line, but is not. The phone number prompts customers to provide a credit card or bank card number.
Alabama Power officials said the company does not do business that way and advised customers who receive suspicious calls to hang up and report the call to law enforcement.
Here are some tips to protect yourself from utility phone scams:
- Alabama Power will never call you and say your service will be discontinued unless you make an immediate payment over the phone.
- No employee will ever call and ask you for bank information or a credit card number.
- No Alabama Poweremployee will ever come to your door and demand an immediate payment.
- Any Alabama Poweremployee who comes to your door for any reason will have company identification that he or she will gladly show you.
- If you have any questions about your account, or want to verify whether a person works for Alabama Power, call the company at 1-888-430-5787.
Also, scammers sometimes claim they represent a nonprofit or government agency that is offering grants that could pay your Alabama Power or other utility bills.
Never provide anyone making this claim your credit card information, your Alabama Power bill information or account number, or any personal banking information. If someone makes this claim, call Alabama Power or your local police department to report it.