MidAmerican Energy customers this past week reported a higher-than-average number of utility scam incidents that collectively resulted in several thousand dollars in losses.
A news release from MidAmerican says with the extreme cold forecast for the area, the company is concerned the number of victims may increase further as scammers take advantage of customers who fear losing electric service while temperatures are dangerously cold.
The utility imposter scam is the most common utility scam. It begins with a phone call from someone who claims they’re with MidAmerican, and that for some reason the company did not receive payment, and they threaten to shut off utility service unless the customer agrees to their demand to pay immediately by phone.
Scammers often seek payment through reloadable money cards, digital payment apps, money wire transfers or even gift cards, such as Amazon or iTunes cards. Beyond seeking card numbers, some scammers also seek their victims’ bank account numbers and withdraw money directly.
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