Scammers seem to be everywhere these days: online, on the phone or even in-person at your front door. Scammers can threaten you with everything from legal action involving the IRS to turning off power to your home.

Utility scams often involve an individual or group posing as an employee of your power company. The scammer may use threatening language in order to frighten you into offering your credit card or bank account information. Don’t fall victim to these types of scams. Understand the threats posed and your best course of action:

• If someone calls you demanding you pay your electric bill immediately and/or threatens disconnection, gather as much information as you can from that individual, hang-up the phone and contact the local authorities. Scammers often use threats and urgency to pressure you into giving them your bank account number or loading a pre-paid credit or debit card. Okefenoke REMC will never ask you to offer up personal finance information over the phone. If you have any doubts about your utility bill, contact a OREMC Customer Service Representative either in person, or over the phone at 800-262-5131.
• If someone comes to your home claiming to be an employee of OREMC and says they need to collect money or requesting access inside your home, DO NOT let the individual inside your home.  Call us to verify they are, in fact, an employee. If they are not, call local authorities for assistance.

OREMC wants to make sure you avoid any and all types of scams that could put you or your financial information in jeopardy. Other types of scams consumers should watch out for:

• Government agencies like the IRS will never call to inform you that you have unpaid taxes or other liens against you. You will always receive this type of information in the mail. If someone calls claiming to be the IRS, hang-up immediately.
• If you receive an email from an unknown sender; an email riddled with spelling errors and typos; or an email threatening action unless a sum of money is paid, do not click any links provided within the email, and do not respond to the email. Simply delete the email.
• If someone calls your home claiming to have discovered a virus on your computer, hang-up. This caller’s intent is to access personal information you may be keeping on your computer.