Officials are warning Forsyth County residents about a scam that targets members of a local utility.
The scam occurs when a customer gets a call about electricity service being disconnected, Sawnee Electric Membership Corporation said in a Facebook post. The caller demands payment with a prepaid debit card.
If the person returns the call, there’s a recording that sounds like Sawnee EMC’s [or another utility’s] automated phone system, the utility said. The recording has been duplicated by the scammers, Sawnee said.
The person returning the call is prompted to avoid service disconnection by providing information from a prepaid card, Sawnee said.
“If you receive a call like this, please do not respond,” Sawnee said. “Sawnee EMC will never request payment via a prepaid card, and our staff does not call to notify a member that electric service disconnection is imminent.”
Also, the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post that it has received questions from residents about calls that claim to be from Sawnee.
“This is a scam,” the sheriff’s post said. “The last four digits on the phone number are 4254.”
People with questions can contact Sawnee EMC at 770-887-2363.
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