People’s Energy Cooperative issues scam alert after several reports made

(ABC 6 News) – People’s Energy Cooperative has issued a scam alert after seeing an uptick in reports in recent days.

One customer reported being told that he had overpaid his bill and that the Cooperative was refunding his money. Other customers reported being told they would be refunded $50 and receive a discount on future bills. In all cases, customers were asked to provide their bank information over the phone.

"People’s Energy Cooperative employees will never request bank or payment information from members over the phone. Member service representatives will only ask for information to identify who a member is."

The following are a few reminders on how to take control of the situation when you’ve been targeted by a scammer:

• Take your time: Utility scammers try to create a sense of urgency, so you’ll act fast and hand over personal information, especially over the phone. Take a moment to think about the situation before acting.
• Be suspicious: Scammers typically request immediate payments through prepaid debit cards or third-party apps. Unusual requests like this should raise red flags. Remember, if the request seems strange and out of the ordinary, you’re likely being targeted by a scammer.
• Confirm before you act: If you’re contacted by someone claiming to represent People’s Energy or another utility but you’re unsure, just hang up the phone and call the utility directly. You can reach us at 800-214-2694 to verify the situation.