Progress Energy warns customers of utility bill-payment scam
Progress Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, is urging customers to be on alert for a new utility bill payment scam affecting customers across the country.
- (1888PressRelease) December 28, 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 "money pack" card at a local drug or convenience store. Progress Energy has received reports of customers who have been contacted about this scam in its Florida service territory, targeting Spanish-speaking customers.
The "money pack" 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 anyone who receives a call indicating their electric service is scheduled for immediate disconnect, to contact 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 (NYSE: DUK), provides electricity and related services to more than 1.6 million customers in Florida. The company is headquartered in St. Petersburg, Fla., and serves 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. Progress Energy Florida is pursuing a balanced approach to meeting the future energy needs of the region. That balance includes increased energy-efficiency programs, investments in renewable energy technologies and a state-of-the-art electricity system. More information is available at www.progress-energy.com.
Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is a Fortune 250 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available at: www.duke-energy.com.
Media contact via 24-Hour media line: Rob Sumner, 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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