Versant Power is warning customers about a spike in scam calls in which the caller threatens to disconnect a person's power unless the company receives money immediately. Versant spokesperson Judy Long says the company’s call center and security liaison received an "astronomical number of calls" Wednesday from people worried about the scam.
"It's not unusual for utilities to see waves of these scammers reaching out to customers and attempting to take their money away illicitly by pretending to be their utility," Long says, "and threatening disconnection, and requesting payment from a non-refundable source."
Long says the company would never approach disconnecting service that way. "If you receive a call threatening to disconnect your electricity unless payment is made immediately or in a very short period of time, you should look at it as suspect."
Long says people receiving these calls should immediately hang up and call the utility directly for clarification.