Victim Location 43211
Type of a scam Utility
a man said he was from AEP collecting a payment for a meter they installed on a certain date and that if i dont pay 500 my electric would be turned off. i called aep and they said no thats wrong and a scam
Victim Location 78415
Type of a scam Utility
Business was reach to pay the required $998 deductible to change out the power meter readers.
Victim Location 43229
Type of a scam Utility
I received a call from AEP with an automated message saying my electric was going to be turned off for non-payment in 30 minutes. They left a call back number of 844-892-4192 so I called. They asked my phone number and name (I only gave them my first name) and when they asked for my street address I told them they needed to tell me that since they should have my account info if they had my phone number. I repeated this when he asked again and they hung up. I think he knew I was on to them!
Victim Location 43130
Type of a scam Utility
I got an automated message from AEP indicating they were going to shut off my power in 45 minutes. The number in my caller ID 614-205-0356. I pressed one, and the message was leave your name and number, and we’ll call you back.
Victim Location 43207
Type of a scam Utility
I got a call this morning from a foreign man who I had trouble understanding. He said he was AEP. He said my AEP bill was past due on my rental property. He said someone was on their way to shut off my electric. He said "You go ahead and call them." I could hear a lot of people in the background.
Victim Location 43231
Type of a scam Utility
Caller, John Garcia, said he was from AEP and our electricity would be turned off today if $698.75 was not paid in cash today. Even though I had copies of checks issued to pay the bill last month, he said check had not been received. Gave me instructions to take cash to Speedway where I would purchase Money Pak cardboard green card and call him with numbers on the card. I called AEP 800 number and they said it was a scam and our account was paid up to date.
Victim Location 45805
Type of a scam Utility
Man claiming to represent AEP offering electric rates at 30% off for 1 year for senior citizens yet the rate quoted was twice the rate we are now paying.
Caller did get AEP billing info then attempted to get natural gas supplier info. At this point caller was told no and the call was terminated.
A call to AEP confirmed that he did not represent their company.
Caller was quite insistent and most likely came from a call center in India.
Victim Location 43227
Type of a scam Utility
Said the American Legion was behind on their electric bill and was scheduled for disconnection, left a phone number and name for someone to call. AEP Christian 800-988-8961, $1481.27 past due. The message ended up with me after several officers. I checked our bank, checks from each month had cleared from AEP, I called the number. Spoke with Dave, he knew our account number, our checking information, how much our bills were. ??? Claimed to be from AEP, said I had to go to a store on 907 or 901 S James Rd and pay CASH, $782 for the check that had not been received yet this month. Yes I had just mailed a payment on Saturday, and we would be credited, or our check returned. ?? Pay by Money Pac, with cash, I asked why? Can’t they just take a check by phone??? He said let me try to run it, came back no it’s too late, it already in termination, they are on the way to shut it off. HUMM?? OK, so can I go to Kroger, no only this one store in your area. OK now I am suspicious, but he does know everything about our account. I hang up, call AEP, and yep, FRAUD, I call him back, he remembers me, swears he is with AEP. Yea right.
Victim Location 79601
Type of a scam Utility
I own a small business,Caller stated he was from AEP and that I was 60 days late on electric bill and technicians were in route to disconnect my service wanted me to make a payment of $490.00 to keep it turned on. I insisted I was not behind. He kept wanting me to make a payment and I told him I was not going to. He said the phone call was being recorded and wanted to know if I was going to make the payment or does he send the technicians. I told him I was not going to pay what I didn’t owe. After I hung up I called my utility company and she said I was all paid and that I was not the only one.
Victim Location 43228
Type of a scam Utility
AEP because I’ve been such a good and loyal customer, I’m eligible for free stuff. He asked me to provide the information from my electric bill. He had an Indian accent. I said no.
Victim Location 79606
Type of a scam Utility
I received a call from (361) 232-5534. The gentleman stated that he was with AEP, and wanted to assist me with an urgent issue. He asked if I received a pink slip for a disconnect at my address. He did provide me with my actual address and had my last name correct. He stated that a technician was on his way to disconnect my power. He provided me with a phone number (361) 232-5534 and extension 2004 that I could call to make a payment and they would stop the technician from turning my power off. The only problem with their well thought out plan, is that I have TXU as my energy provider.
Victim Location 46545
Type of a scam Utility
People call in spanish threatening to shut off electricity to the house if we do not pay $300 within 45 minutes.
Victim Location 46825
Type of a scam Utility
Man called my office and told my wife that the electric bill was past due and there were utility men heading to my house to turn off the power unless we handled payment. The payment needed to be paid by something that could be purchased at Dollar General. To make a long story short, it was a scam… the mans name was Matt Vincent Kelly.
Victim Location 46815
Type of a scam Utility
They had called my business on Wed. April 12th, saying that I had an balance due on account, and they were going to shut the power off in less than 45 minutes if I didn’t get it paid. I was told to call the 1-800-520-2530 number and find out where I could make a payment. They said that they couldn’t take any credit, or checks, because it took 12-24 to process, only a cash payment could be made. When I called this number I was told that I had to go to the closes spot which was CVS and get a moneypak and send $350.00 right away before the service man came to shut power off in my school. The person name was David Harris. I called AEP directly only to find that it was a scam. I called the police dept, and they said to contact you.
Victim Location 78414
Type of a scam Phishing
A man called and said my lights were going to be disconnected at 4pm ,that was not true I called light company and was told no such thing was going to happen.I called the number back the man i spoke to put me on hold and didn’t come bake to the phone. I then called back and the phone was disconnected., I then called from another phone and the phone worked just fine. A recording said this is AEP.
Victim Location 43232
Type of a scam Utility
Caller says a technician is on the way out to disconnect electric service. We must go to Western Union or other 3rd party agency to send money immediately.
The caller asks for your account number (they would know it if this call was legit). If you do not know the account number you give them a telephone number. That is how they get your address. If you ask how much money they need, they just make up a number.
I called AEP after receiving this call and asked them what amount we were behind. They said we are not behind and this is a scam call. They also told me that no technician is needed to disconnect service. It is done electronically. And they will not call us. They will send letters prior to disconnect.
Victim Location 43210
Total money lost $2,000
Type of a scam Utility
Caller said she received a call from AEP, American Electric Power. She said they knew her AEP account numbers (more than one), her driver’s license #, cell phone #, and date of birth. They threatened that they were coming to her power because of a late payment on her account. The caller said she panicked because she had a funeral set up for that day, so she went and wired them $2,000 to keep the power on.
The scammer left a return phone number which was the legitimate phone number for AEP, but there was a extension # that rerouted the call to another location.
When she called AEP to verify payment, she was told that no one from AEP had called her and they would not have contacted her to demand immediate wire transfer of funds.
The money was wired to a location here in Cincinnati but that is all she knows.
The caller had already notified AEP and the local police. I advised the caller to keep an eye on her credit report for any unauthorized or suspicious activity.