Phone Scammers Pretending To Be Duke Energy Target Triad Business Owners

A series of recent telephone scams have robbed some Triad customers of thousands of dollars.

The fraudsters pose as Duke Energy employees. They call private homes and businesses to announce that a crew will be dispatched to turn off power there within 45 minutes to an hour, unless they receive payment for a balance that they falsely claim is overdue.

In early April, Winston-Salem Coffee Park owner Tommy Priest was swindled out of nearly $5,000. Three weeks later, Greensboro machine shop owner Sam New and his wife Betty were in the process of paying the scammers $422 when they were tipped off by a savvy Walgreens clerk, and backed out of the illegal transaction.

On the surface, the trick would seem to be easy to spot. But Better Business Bureau President and CEO Brian Wright says the scammers are often successful in establishing credibility with their victims by utilizing the name of a well-known, legitimate business like Duke Energy.

“A lot of times when we get these [scams], it's either in summer time when it's really hot, or winter time when it's really cold,” says Wright. “When it relates to having your power turned off, well, if you need air conditioning, you don't have that. If you need heat, you don't have that. And even more importantly, if you're running a business—let's say you're a veterinarian or you have patrons visiting your place, obviously, you need power in order to run that business.”

The people on the phone posing as Duke Energy employees are often extremely persistent and persuasive in getting their victims to make a quick payment decision. The victims are told to either pay over the phone, or to load a gift card or iTunes card at a local convenience store or drug store.

Quite simply, Wright says, “Don't be fooled!” For starters, Duke Energy doesn't demand payment over the phone, and never with gift cards.

“You've got to pause and take control,” he says. “Second thing you need to do is prepare. So, call the phone number that is listed on your power bill, and ask them if there is an outstanding balance. If this was a call by scammers, then you will have made the right decision and you've saved yourself money and, of course, any undue stress.”

For the scammers, it's a numbers game. For example, Duke Energy told Sam and Betty New that they were the 40th customers that day to have been targeted. In the past two years alone, there have been 79 reported instances in North Carolina of the grift being carried out successfully.

Duke Energy offers a list of fraud prevention tips online. For scams using other credible company names, the BBB Scam Tracker is another tool the public can use to investigate the caller's authenticity. If you suspect criminal intent, both organizations recommend that you contact the police.