Northwest Iowa — MidAmerican Energy company says scammers have been busy targeting MidAmerican customers via telephone Friday.
According to the company, several MidAmerican Energy customers have been targeted over the phone by scammers, who are posing as utility employees and threatening to shut off power unless the customer makes a payment over the phone with a prepaid debit card. MidAmerican says customers receiving these calls should hang up the phone immediately.
According to a news release from MidAmerican Energy, in these most recent calls, scammers have targeted commercial customers as the holiday shopping season winds up. Nonetheless, scammers can target anyone at any time of year, so all customers should be on the lookout. The company says these scammers are persistent and aggressive, and use sophisticated methods to trick customers, which can include:
• Spoofing Caller ID to make the call appear as if it is coming from the utility.
• Requiring customers to make an immediate payment using a prepaid (Green Dot) card.
• Impersonating energy auditors in an attempt to get inside homes or businesses.
• Intimidating customers by showing up at their front doors or claiming a crew is en route to disconnect service.
• Claiming there is an issue with electric or natural gas service equipment inside or outside the house and requesting immediate payment.
MidAmerican Energy advises customers who receive a suspicious call to just hang up and call local police, as well as their energy provider to report the scam and check the status of their account. MidAmerican customers can check their balance online using My Account at www.midamericanenergy.com or by calling MidAmerican Energy at 888-427-5632.
MidAmerican says protecting customers from scams is a top priority for their company. They say if customers are behind on bills, they will receive several notifications; disconnection is a last resort, not a first step in the process. MidAmerican Energy also accepts several different forms of payment; a specific payment method is never required when paying your bill.
MidAmerican Energy says they advise their customers to follow these steps to stay safe:
• Never give out personal information such as credit card or account numbers. Utilities will not ask for this information over the phone.
• Beware of any caller who asks you to pay with a prepaid (Green Dot) debit card. MidAmerican Energy does not accept this type of payment.
• Ask for proper identification from anyone who approaches you claiming to be from a service provider. Call the service provider directly to verify the purpose for the visit. Use the number published on your monthly bill or the company’s website.
For more information, visit www.midamericanenergy.com/scams.
The Consumer Protection Division of the Iowa Attorney General’s office has also set up a hotline with more information on the scam at 515-725-5387.
