LIMA, OH (WLIO) - The Better Business Bureau has gotten a lot of calls about a scam that has been going on involving people pretending to be from AEP or other electric companies.
They say the scammers tell the customers the power company has not received a payment for months and are threatening to shut off their service unless they give them a credit card number. Some scams have people physically coming to people's homes impersonating a utility worker and demanding payment. AEP says you can check the status of your account online, and you are probably talking to a scammer if they demand immediate payment or insist the payment be made by a prepaid credit card.
"They might send somebody by with a shut-off situation, but you would have gotten warned numerous times by mailings. That is one thing, so it should be a surprise. But also they are not going to take payment by the onsite field technician. That is not going to happen," says Lane Montz, Pres. and CEO of BBB of Northwest Ohio. "If that happens, we recommend that you call 9-1-1 to get the police out there. Also try and call the utility company as well. They will appreciate it. Even if it's a legitimate visit from them, they will appreciate that someone is concerned, because they are not in favor, obviously, of the imposters."
AEP Ohio says only to make payments online, through the mail, or through their automated phone payment system.
