Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Our office has learned that scam robocalls pretending to be from Duke Energy have been targeting North Carolina consumers. Calls showing local caller-IDs have been playing a message telling people that their Duke Energy power bill was overdue and that their power would be disconnected in the next 30 minutes. The robocall directs people to call 1-844-350-4749, which is not a number for Duke Energy. When people call that number, they have been asked to make payment via CashApp or told to purchase a prepaid credit card, add money to it, and make a payment. Although our office successfully shut down this 844 number, it is possible that the scammers will continue this scheme using another toll-free phone number.

Scams that target electric and natural gas customers are on the rise during the COVID-19 pandemic. Duke Energy reported that June 2020 had the highest amount of reported scam attempts targeting their customers to date. Our office is working hard to combat these scams, but the best way to protect yourself is to follow these tips:

• Hang up the phone and call your utility provider using a number on a utility bill or from the company’s website. Do not use the number provided in the robocall, as that will just connect you to the scammers.
• Do not give out personal information, such as a birth date, Social Security number, or financial information.
• Never buy prepaid debit cards or gift cards to make payments to utility companies.
• File a robocall complaint with our office and include as much information about the call as possible. This will help us track down whoever made the call. Go to ncdoj.gov/norobo or call 1-844-8-NOROBO to file a robocall complaint.

As we navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s crucial that we do so with accurate information and protect our personal information and money in the process. If a company contacts you and you’re unsure of their authenticity or if you believe that you have been the victim of a scam, contact our office’s Consumer Protection Division at ncdoj.gov/file-a-complaint or 1-877-5-NO-SCAM.