North Carolina's electric cooperatives warn of scam targeting Spanish-speaking members

RALEIGH, N.C., June 27, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- North Carolina's electric cooperatives are warning consumer-members that thieves posing as cooperative employees are trying to steal your money and personal information.

The scammers call customers whose primary language is not English, most of the time targeting Spanish speakers, and tell them that their electricity will be disconnected unless they send payment immediately. The scammers are instructing these cooperative members to purchase a pre-paid credit card and either send it to a predetermined address or provide the information from that card over the phone.

"None of North Carolina's 26 electric cooperatives would ever contact their members to obtain account or personal information," said Kristie Aldridge, Sr. Communications Specialist for North Carolina Association of Electric Cooperatives. "If you ever doubt the identity of someone claiming to represent your electric cooperative over the phone, please hang up and call your cooperative's office using the phone number listed on your bill or another official document," she said.

North Carolina's electric cooperatives urge members to be aware of this scam and ask that members share this information with family and friends to help put a stop to it.

North Carolina's electric cooperatives serve more than 2.5 million people in 93 of the state's 100 counties.

SOURCE North Carolina's electric cooperatives

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