Duke Energy warns of utility scams

Wednesday is National Scam Awareness Day and Duke Energy is urging you to make sure you don’t fall for utilities-related scam attempts.

The power company says that you should never purchase a prepaid debit card or gift card to avoid having your utilities disconnected. Legitimate utility companies do not specify how you should make a bill payment, and they always offer a variety of ways to pay a bill, including accepting payments online, by phone, automatic bank draft, mail, or in person.

If someone calls, texts, appears, or emails saying you have to pay your bill immediately to avoid disconnection, you should tell them you want to verify that they are a legitimate utility company representative. You can do that by calling a verified number for the utility company found on the company’s website or on your monthly bill.

You can visit www.utilitiesunited.org for more information and tips about how to avoid utility scams.