BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) – A Homewood business owner says he was scammed out of $1,500 when he received a call from someone claiming to be an Alabama Power employee. The caller ID indicated the call was from the utility company, and the scammer claimed the owner would have his power shut off if he didn’t pay the supposedly overdue bill.
Alabama Power stressed that they would never pressure customers to pay their bills over the phone. If customers receive such calls, they should hang up immediately and call the official customer service number.
Alabama Power is aware of these scams and wants its customers to be able to recognize the signs of these fraudulent calls. Anthony Cook, a representative for Alabama Power, explained that the only legitimate customer service number is the one that customers should use to pay their bills. The business owner confirmed that the call he received appeared to be from Alabama Power and that the caller was demanding $1,500 to avoid having his power shut off within the hour. Cook reiterated that Alabama Power would never demand immediate payments over the phone.
“Alabama Power will never call or text customers to demand immediate payments or ask for personal information or credit card numbers. Even if the caller ID shows Alabama Power, customers are asked to politely hang up and begin the conversation by calling the official customer service number,” Cook explains.
Click here for more information on how to avoid these scams.
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