Utilities don’t call and demand your credit card number

What would you do if your utility company called and said it had not received payment, and that unless you could pay right now, it was shutting off service? Many people panic, pull out their credit card, and before they know it, they’ve been scammed.

“Our utilities never operate like that,” said Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller. “Don’t be buffaloed into giving out your credit card account number, bank account, Social Security number, or other personal information. This scam appears to be hitting all over Iowa.”

Miller says reports of the utility scam have been rolling in since April. MidAmerican and Alliant Energy report dozens of customers have received such calls.

Customers have provided their credit card or debit card numbers, and then discovered the call was a scam when they checked with the utility. Some gave credit card numbers to “pay” amounts in the range of $20 to over $200 to avoid threatened disconnection.

For more information & link to complete story: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2008/07/utility_scam.html

~Sandy G.