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It’s that time of year again. The temperatures drop at night and scammers try to target Dominion Energy customers. Farmville United Methodist Pastor Susie Thomas announced on social media earlier this week that someone tried that with the church.

“Our church office manager received a call from someone purporting to be from Dominion Energy this morning,” Thomas wrote. “The caller said that the church was two months overdue in our payments and that we were a few days away from having the church’s power disconnected. Our administrator asked a few questions and subsequently called Dominion.” 

Dominion officials say it’s a problem they run into every year, urging residents, businesses and churches to be cautious when accepting calls. 

“Even if the caller ID says Dominion Energy, our customers should be on alert about demands for immediate payment and threats of service disconnection,” said Utibe Bassey, Dominion Energy’s vice president of customer experience. “That is not how we do business. When any warning sign is present, hang up. Never share personal information.”

Dominion Energy doesn’t call

The subhead there pretty much says it all. Dominion officials say they don’t threaten to disconnect a customer’s service if someone doesn’t pay immediately over the phone. They also don’t demand payment with a credit or debit card by phone or ask for a wire transfer, send a money order or buy a prepaid gift card to pay the utility bill, all of which have been reported as actions scammers took over the last two years. 

On the other hand, sometimes scammers aren’t aggressive, Dominion officials say. They may try to be sympathetic, saying they understand the person’s situation. Regardless of how they act, if they’re demanding immediate payment, especially with a prepaid gift card, it’s time to hang up and let the police or sheriff’s office know. 

These scammers like to target small businesses, like restaurants, during peak hours to threaten service disconnection and instill fear and urgency. The same goes for scammers who try to show up in person. Don’t let anyone claiming to be with Dominion Energy in your home without proper identification, an appointment or a reported emergency. Employees will also never ask for payment in person.
“Dominion Energy personnel may need to visit your residence or place of business from time to time,” company officials said in a statement. “These workers will always carry identification with their picture and Dominion Energy branding. They travel in white vehicles with a Dominion Energy logo on the side.” 

How to handle a utility scam

In the case that someone receives a suspicious call that might be a utility scam, Dominion has three suggestions to help customers stay safe.

First, customers should hang up the phone and not provide any personal information. Customers can also double-check to make sure it is a real employee they are talking to on the phone. According to Dominion Energy, scammers do not typically know a customer’s account balance. Customers can verify their account balance and payment due date online or on the Dominion Energy app.

Lastly, customers are encouraged to seek help. Let the police or sheriff’s office know, as we mentioned before. And if you are struggling to pay the power bill, Dominion officials said customers can connect with the company to discuss a payment plan.