CAYCE, SC – South Carolina Electric & Gas is warning customers about a phone scam targeting homes and small businesses.
The utility says customers are reporting getting fake automated messages and calls from people pretending to be SCE&G employees.
In some cases, the scammer tells the customer to purchase a prepaid debit card, or the scammer may ask for credit card information, to avoid service interruption.
“SCE&G may call a customer about an overdue account balance, but we will ask the customer to provide information that only the customer and SCE&G would know, to validate that the call is legitimate,” said Sam Dozier, vice president of customer service for SCE&G. “If customers have any doubt whatsoever about the legitimacy of a caller, they should hang up and call our customer service line at 1-800-251-7234.”
If you think you may be a victim of a scam, contact your local law enforcement. The South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs also has a phone line for reporting consumer scams: 800-922-1594 or 803-734-4200.Other common elements of these scams may include:
- The scammer often targets small businesses, such as restaurants, hoping to create a higher sense of urgency.
- The scammer suggests a specific store from which the customer can purchase a prepaid card.
- Scammers like prepaid debit cards because they can obtain the money on the card without showing a photo ID.
- The scammer uses the practice of caller ID “spoofing,” which causes the customer’s phone to display a false caller ID.
- Often, the scammer will “spoof” a local number, perhaps even using the utility’s standard customer service number.