Contact: NOVEC Public Relations, 1-888-335-0500, customerservice@novec.com
NORTHERN VIRGINIA — Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative warns all customers to be alert to anyone who calls them, claims to be a Co-op employee, and directs the customer to pay bills with a specific prepaid debit card. The Co-op says the caller is a scammer. NOVEC customers have reported three phone-scam attempts so far in June.
In a June 17 news release, the Virginia Attorney General’s office warned Virginians to be cautious of scam phone calls from “individuals who claim to be an employee of their electric utility provider and demand immediate payment of their bill.” The office said there have been several recent reports of callers threatening to shut off power to a customer unless a delinquent bill is paid within a few hours. The release said, “Those called are then encouraged to go to Wal-Mart or another retailer to purchase a Green Dot Visa card or other pre-paid debit card so that funds can be loaded onto the card and a payment can be made over the phone to the scammer.” The AG’s office noted that scammers are apparently targeting Spanish-speaking and elderly people, and businesses.
To make the calls seem legitimate, the spammers are “spoofing” utility companies’ phone numbers so that customers who have Caller ID will see the name of their utility provider on their phones.
“We’re telling all customers that NOVEC does not do business this way,” says Pam Ringel, customer service supervisor. “We’re advising them to call NOVEC’s Customer Service Center at 703-335-0500 or 1-888-335-0500 to verify their account information after receiving any suspicious calls or text messages, even if the number displayed on their phones is the Co-op’s phone number. We’re also advising them to contact the police or report the incident to a consumer affairs bureau.”
Customers may also report incidents to the Office of the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-800-552-9963, Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
NOVEC says phone scammers have been a problem for utility customers for at least a year. Last fall, a NOVEC customer reported a caller who claimed to be from the Co-op and told the customer to pay $950 right away to avoid a service interruption. The caller told the customer to put the money on a pre-paid MoneyPak debit card. NOVEC informed the police and they investigated.
Ringel says, “NOVEC sometimes places automated courtesy phone calls to remind customers that their accounts are past due, but the messages never ask for Social Security, credit card, or bank account numbers or give a dollar amount that a customer must pay. Furthermore, the calls are made by an interactive telephone system and not by a NOVEC employee. So the customer is never speaking with a person. The NOVEC automated message never tells customers what payment method they must use.”
The Virginia Attorney General’s office urges Virginians to protect themselves from scammers by following these practices:
- Always attempt to verify the identity of any individual calling who claims to represent a business. Do not provide money or personal information to an unsolicited caller whose identity cannot be verified.
- Always take time making a decision. Legitimate companies don't pressure customers to make a snap decision.
- Do not make a payment by purchasing a Green Dot card or other means when told to do so. Report the call immediately to the utility company and verify your account status.
- If you received a suspicious call and made a payment to the scammer, report it to the local police, or to state or federal law enforcement agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission.
