Homer Electric Association customers are currently being targeted in a telephone scam that has made its way to the Kenai Peninsula.
In recent days, HEA personnel learned of a phone scam in which a person has claimed to be an HEA representative. The scammer proceeds to ask the victim for immediate credit card payment or else risk having their service shut-off within an hour.
“Someone is trying to get credit card info and they’re trying to get immediate payment,” said Joe Gallagher, director of member relations for HEA.
Gallagher said that HEA would never threaten to shut off service in such a manner.
The current scam is sophisticated. According to the press release, scammers are capable of having HEA come up on a victim’s caller ID.
Gallagher said that these types of scams have been seen in Anchorage and in other parts of the country. He recommends that if any customers receive suspicious calls, they should immediately hang up the phone and call HEA. This will enable HEA to inform other customers of potential dangers.
“The best thing Homer Electric can do is to regularly get the word out that this is a scam,” Gallagher said. “There are scams out there and we just want people to be aware.”
Reach Ian Foley at Ian.foley@peninsulaclarion.com
