Its customer-members have recently informed Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO) about a surge in phone call scams targeting the region. Scammers, pretending to be SMECO employees, are making fraudulent demands for payment through prepaid debit cards or Bitcoin, threatening to disconnect the victims' electric service.
Tom Dennison, the Vice President of Government and Public Affairs at SMECO, explained that businesses are often the prime targets for these scams due to their higher monthly bills and multiple authorized bill-payers, making it easier for scammers to exploit communication gaps. However, residential customer members are also at risk of falling victim to these scams.
To further deceive their targets, the scammers manipulate the caller ID to display SMECO's name, and they have improved their tactics by replicating voice recordings and mimicking utility phone systems, adding an extra layer of confusion for the victims.
Dennison advised customers handling such situations, stating, "If customers receive a phone call from someone threatening to disconnect their power, they may hang up. If they want to verify account information, they can call SMECO directly." He emphasized that SMECO's official contact center is reachable at 1-888-440-3311, and this number is printed on every customer bill.
SMECO follows a specific routine for collecting customer payments, which includes sending a termination notice if a bill remains unpaid. The cooperative employs an automated phone system with recorded messages to call customers with past-due balances, and very rarely do SMECO employees make personal "collection" phone calls. Collection calls are made about 10 days before service termination, and SMECO does not demand immediate payment during these calls. Calls from unknown numbers that impose a short deadline for payment and threaten service cutoff within an hour or two are most likely fraudulent and part of the scam.
Customers must remember that SMECO does not conduct collection calls or terminate service during weekends or holidays. If service termination is necessary, a SMECO collector will visit the customer's location before taking action. Moreover, SMECO collectors accept credit card payments, checks, or money orders but do not accept cash, which can also serve as a clue to identify potential scams.
The cooperative has issued alerts to warn customers about these scams, and Dennison emphasized the significance of education in preventing such crimes. He said, "Not only are scams a nuisance, but these crooks can steal thousands of dollars from unsuspecting residents and businesses. We want to help prevent this type of crime by educating our customers whenever we hear about people being tricked out of their hard-earned money."
To safeguard against falling prey to these fraudulent activities, SMECO recommends some basic guidelines for its customers. They should use the phone number on their monthly bill and share payment information over the phone only when they initiate the contact. Personal information, banking details, usernames, passwords, or account information should not be divulged to unauthorized callers or in emails. Additionally, customers should avoid making payments via Green Dot, Western Union, or Moneygram to unknown callers, and they should never meet them at local stores or banks, as it could jeopardize their personal safety.
SMECO remains vigilant in combating these scams and urges its customer members to stay informed and take necessary precautions to protect themselves and their hard-earned money from potential scammers.
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