Richmond County Sheriff's Office warns of Duke Energy power bill scam

ROCKINGHAM — The Richmond County Sheriff’s office is warning residents of a scam where potential victims are being told they have past-due power bills.

The sheriff’s office posted the alert to its Facebook page Monday, saying deputies received a complaint about the scam Jan. 28.

According to the sheriff’s office, a female caller said she was from Duke Energy and told the resident that his bill was 60 days past due and that his power would be shut off if he didn’t make a payment.

The caller reportedly had information about related to the resident’s power bill and convinced him to give her his financial card information.

The sheriff’s office called Duke Energy and was reportedly told the company has been receiving complaints.

The calls can even show up on Caller ID as being from Duke Energy.

According to a press release from November of 2021, nearly 30,000 scams were reported by Duke Energy customers in 2020, and 4% of customers had fallen victim within the past year.

The electric service provider said that the increase in scam attempts was triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Scammers have not shown compassion for small businesses and private citizens enduring the trying circumstances of the last two years,” Jared Lawrence, Duke Energy’s vice president of metering services and customer service transformation, said in the release. “In fact, they have intensified their criminal activity with high-pressure tactics and increasing use of technology. For that reason, utilities continue to unite to combat scammers by spreading awareness, and we are working with telecom partners to remove access to phone lines and encouraging policymakers to adopt stronger public protections.”

According to Duke Energy, common scam tactics include:

• Threat to disconnect: Scammers may aggressively tell a customer their utility bill is past due and service will be disconnected — usually within 30 minutes — if a payment is not made.
• New meter refund: After Duke Energy temporarily suspended disconnects in response to COVID-19 and offered extended payment plans, scammers adapted. Rather than focus on overdue bills, they tell the homeowner they need to pay a deposit for a new meter, which will later be refunded – again insisting on immediate deposit.
• Mobile banking apps: Customers are instructed to send immediate payment through a mobile app. Duke Energy does not accept payments through the Cash App, Venmo or Zelle apps. (Customers can make payments directly on Duke Energy’s mobile app, available in the Apple App Store for iOS and the Google Play Store for Android.)
• Personal information: Criminals promise to mail refund checks for overpayments on a customer’s account if they can confirm their personal data, including birthdays and, in some cases, Social Security numbers.

(Note: the above bulleted list is directly from the press release.)

Residents are encouraged to just hang up if they think they’re being targeted for a scam.

“It’s perfectly acceptable for the customer to hang up the phone,” said Monica Martinez, executive director of Utilities United Against Scams. “The scammer’s initial goal is to pressure their targets and convince them that they work for the utility. Scammers are extremely sophisticated in their tactics, and by simply ending the call, you can end their scam. If you are unsure, you can always call back the utility by dialing the number found on your bill or on their website, and they will provide you with the correct information.”

(This story was edited slightly for clarification.)