Dakota Electric Cautions Against Utility Scams

Dakota Electric Association is warning members to beware of scammers trying to get financial information from utilities customers.

Utilities across the country have seen increased numbers of scams. In the scams, individuals claiming to be utility employees or collection agency personnel use various techniques to trick the customer into providing personal information.

“We want our members to be aware of these scams, so they will not lose their money,” a news release quoted Energy and Member Services Vice President Mike Fosse. “Members should be suspicious, and please call us to verify any potential disconnection.”

In some cases, the scammers say the customer has an outstanding debt and is about to lose service. In others, they say the light bulbs in the customer’s home are defective and might burn down the house. 

Dakota Electric reminds customers that calls that seem suspicious probably are suspicious. People should never give out Social Security numbers, credit card information or banking information unless they initiated the call—regardless of who the caller claims to represent.

Dakota Electric does not call members asking for financial information. Anyone who receives such a call should hang up immediately and contact local police. If threatened with disconnection of service, utility customers should call their utility company directly using the contact phone number on the utility statement. Do not use a number provided by the caller since it could be part of the scam.

When customers legitimately have a past-due account, Dakota Electric will:

• Always send a disconnection notice by U.S. mail before taking further action and
• Never instruct customers to purchase a pre-paid credit card.