During times of uncertainty, as we all have experienced recently with the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a rise of scammers targeting electric utility consumers and demanding immediate electric bill payment.
Protecting your personal information is important to us, and we want to remind you of some simple tips to help you do the same.
Carteret-Craven Electric Co-op will never call you to demand payment on very short notice. In fact, you should be suspicious of anyone that calls you and asks you to get a prepaid credit card, or to wire them money electronically to pay your electric bill.
Scammers can program their phones with a Caller ID for Carteret-Craven Electric Co-op
Be wary of scams in which callers pretend to be an authorized representative. Scammers will sometimes change their caller ID to disguise their real identity to trick you into giving away valuable information and money.
If at any time you are suspicious of a caller claiming to be from the co-op, hang up and contact us directly at 252-247-3107 or 1-800-682-2217. Don't call them back on the number they give you.
How do these scammers work?
You should be aware of scams that involve criminals posing as CCEC representatives and demanding immediate payment or personal information. They often target vulnerable demographics, including senior citizens and non-native English speaking individuals.
Scammers are impersonating employees over the phone, in-person, or by other means. They may threaten to disconnect or suspend utility service if immediate payment is not received. They may also use advanced tactics, such as playing a telephone recording that sounds like us.
What should you do?
Do not give the caller or visitor a prepaid card, a wire transfer, or any other form of payment that may be difficult for law enforcement officials to trace. Hang up the phone and call us at 252-247-3107 or 1-800-682-2217. You should also report the attempt to local law enforcement, the NC Attorney General at http://www.ncdoj.com/Consumer.aspx or call toll free within North Carolina at 1-877-5-NO-SCAM (1-877-566-7226). Report, as well to the Federal Trade Commission at https://www.ftc.gov or call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357).