Progress Energy Warns Customers of Utility Bill-Payment Scam

Top Quote Progress Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, is urging customers be on alert for a new utility bill payment scam affecting customers across the country. End Quote
  • (1888PressRelease) July 26, 2012 - Under the scam, customers are receiving a call informing them their electric service is scheduled for immediate disconnection and they should make a payment by purchasing a “Green Dot Pak” card at a local drug or convenience store. Progress Energy has received reports of customers who have been contacted about this scam in both its Carolinas and Florida service territories.

    The “Green Dot Pak” card is a temporary pre-pay credit card that requires a registration process. After the customer purchases the card, he or she is instructed to call the fraudulent party back to make a payment. The customer is instructed to provide a receipt number and PIN number. Once that information is obtained, the money on the card is then transferred to the fraudulent party.

    Progress Energy does not contact customers to obtain personally identifiable information. In addition, the company encourages customers and others that should they receive a call that their electric service is scheduled for immediate disconnect, they should call law enforcement and report the attempted fraud.

    Any homeowner in doubt about the identity of someone claiming to be a Progress Energy employee should call Progress Energy’s customer service center (1.800.452.2777 in the Carolinas/ 1.800.700.8744 in Florida) to confirm the employee's identity. Customers who are contacted by phone, email, through social media or through other channels can verify an individual’s affiliation with Progress Energy by calling the same number.

    Progress Energy Florida:
    Progress Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, provides electricity and related services to more than 1.6 million customers in Florida. The company is headquartered in St. Petersburg, Fla., and provides approximately 10,000 megawatts of diverse electric generation to serve a territory encompassing more than 20,000 square miles, including the cities of St. Petersburg and Clearwater, as well as the Central Florida area surrounding Orlando. For more information, visit www.progress-energy.com.



    CONTACT:

    Media via 24-hour media line: 800-559-3853
    Follow Progress Energy Florida on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ProgEnergyFL
    Follow Progress Energy Florida on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ProgressEnergyFlorida

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