Victim Location 47803
Type of a scam Utility
Your power will be disconnect today do to pending balance. Call the direct billing dept. to avoid power being disconnected call 1-800-327-2178 . Thank you for choosing Duke Energy.
Victim Location 46131
Type of a scam Utility
Noted service would be shut off in 45minutes due to nonpmt since Jan. CKD bank acct and auto pmts have been continuing. Called back and asked to confirm Jan and Feb pmy amts and dates and they couldn’t on December and wrong on January. Ultimately hung up on me.
Victim Location 33777
Type of a scam Utility
I received a phone call from a man saying my Duke Energy bill has not been paid for 2 months and the Tech would be at my home withing the hour to shut off my electric. I told the man there was some mistake as my account pays the electric each month automatically from the bank. The man said he did see my account is deducted each month from my bank account so I should contact the bank as they had to have made a mistake and not paid it. He than said he would transfer me to a Duke Energy Supervisor who could take care of my situation. Supervisor said what is in collection was over $500. I don’t remember the exact amount. I asked him if they’d take a credit card to keep from shutting off my electric? He directed me to go to a Winn Dixie on Park to pay but than changed his mind and said they wouldn’t have a record that I paid it so I should mail a check directly to them. I knew than it was a scam and I hung up. No one showed up at my home. I wish I would have continued the conversation and got that mailing address but I was so upset I just hung up. Both men had a foreign accent.
Victim Location 29536
Total money lost $498.30
Type of a scam Phishing
received a call from someone claiming to be DUKE ENERGY asking for payment or they would shut off our electric at our business within 45 minutes. Called the # back & sounded like the real Duke. I asked to pay by credit card & they said they couldn’t take credit cards. CASH ONLY.
Victim Location 43402
Type of a scam Utility
Received automated robo-call concerning my supposed Duke Energy utility rates and offering a discount.
Victim Location 45242
Type of a scam Utility
A representative claiming he was with Duke, called to inform me that I was eligible to be locked in to a lower rate since I do not accept government assistance with my Duke bill. He indicated the program was called Duke’s Choice, and to lock in this rate I needed to confirm my Duke account number. When I challenged why this was needed, he indicated he could transfer me to Duke’s customer service to confirm my account number, and another person then came on the line. When I asked this person to confirm if they were Duke Customer Service, and she answered yes, I began to explain the context of why I was transferred over to her department. Before I could finish asking my probing questions, she disconnected the call.
I then called Duke’s actual customer service line, and spoke to a representative who confirmed to me that no one attempted to contact me from Duke. He also informed me that Duke will not ask for my account number on a phone call, and agencies that do ask for this, are third party companies trying to enroll you in a program, potentially without your full consent.
After this call with Duke, I called the number back from my caller ID (513-342-1215) and the person identified themselves as being with "Parks Power." I explained that someone from her company just called me, claiming to be from Duke and asked for my Duke account information, and that I would be filing a complaint to report this mis-leading behavior. She apologized and confirmed they are not Duke.
Victim Location 28403
Type of a scam Phishing
I received a phone call and I did not answer, the voicemail stated that I needed to contact them as soon as possible to reconnect my power service. When I called the number back I selected the option from the menu to report a scam. The man who answered the phone immediately stop speaking to me and hung up the phone. I threatened to report them.
Victim Location 45242
Type of a scam Utility
in july of this year, a gentleman came to our door. he identified himself and advised that he "REPRESENTED" (NOT WORKED FOR) duke energy. he wore a lanyard with a tag that had large red letters in the center spelling out duke energy. above and below the duke part was writing so small I would have had to hold the lanyard/tag in my hand to read it. he advised me that since we used x amount (I forget the figure he used) of kilowatt hours in 2017 we qualified for "price protection". I asked how he knew the kilowatt amount and he advised that it was listed in our account info. when I asked to see the account info and verify the kilowatt amount he told me he would need a copy of a relatively current duke bill or just the account #. I told him we were finished and he left.
in april a very similar attempt occurred. everything mentioned above was right in line with this visit (two different people) only now he wanted our account # in order to process a "overcharge rebate" during the bitter cold months of early 2018. again, he could not provide a copy of my account but would be able to help if I gave him a bill or the account #.
in both cases, the key part was that these people always said they REPRESENTED duke energy, not that they worked for duke.
HEADS UP!! and BEWARE!! they just keep coming.
Victim Location 28806
Total money lost $1,000
Type of a scam Utility
The scammer called my business and identified themselves as Duke Energy stating a payment would need to be made immediately to avoid disconnection. I called the number back and the number had all the Duke Energy prompts, so I thought it was alright. They informed me I would need to make the payment with a specific type of card found at Walgreen. I should have realized at that point this was a scam, but I wanted to get back to work. After I gave them the money, $1000, I called Duke from the number online, and they told me I had been scammed. These people told me my payments had probably been misdirected and as soon as I spoke with a specialist to confirm my payments, my payment would be refunded, and I would receive a free month for the inconvenience.
Victim Location 46901
Type of a scam Utility
Raymond from "duke energy" called us at planet fitness. Told us our power would be shut off at 9:15 am on 11/29/17. I recalled the 765-761-5183 number and received a voicemail stating, "The textnow user you are trying to reach can not come to the phone." The 1-800-774-1202 number was a "customer service number for duke". Called the actual customer service for duke and we are in fine standing and they wont call to notify a shut off.
Victim Location 32320
Type of a scam Utility
PHONE CALL LEAVING BIZARRE MESSAGE CITING LACK OF PAYMENT FOR ELECTRIC BILL TELLING OUR BUSINESS THAT THE POWER WOULD BE SHUT OFF IN 45 MINUTES, UNLESS THE BILL WAS PAID IMMEDIATELY. WHEN WE RETURNED THE CALL, WE WERE ASKED THE ACCOUNT NUMBERS AND THE AMOUNTS LAST PAID AND THEN WE WERE TOLD TO GO TO A CVS OR WINN-DIXIE AND WIRE MONEY TO THEM IMMEDIATELY.
WE TOLD THE FOREIGNER ON THE PHONE WE DON’T CONDUCT BUSINESS THAT WAY AND HUNG UP.
Victim Location 46992
Type of a scam Utility
Received a call from "Justin" at (800)774-1202 saying that our power was going to be disconnected in 45 minutes due to an outstanding balance on our account. He said we would have to call the billing department, however they just got a new phone number. He said we would have to call (844)255-4463 in order to prevent our power being shut off. When I asked to confirm that we had 45 minutes to straighten out our account, he said that no, we had only 25 minutes until we would be disconnected. I searched FaceBook for the phone number for the "billing department," and there were several posts reporting that others had received the same scam call.
Victim Location 46032
Type of a scam Debt Collections
We are a small business. They contacted us telling us that if we did not bring $1100 to Plainfield they would shut off our power. My owner then called them back and gave them a fake card number and they said they were on their way to shut our power off.
Victim Location 27101
Type of a scam Utility
We are an automotive group, so we have many Duke Energy accounts. A female called our A/P Dept. stating she was with Duke Energy and that they have sent several letters about our past due account. The person only gave the physical address and owner’s name to our Accounts Payable Clerk, who came to me. No account number was provided and the female hung up quickly leaving 866-273-6775 as the number for us to contact. I looked on Duke Energy’s website and this is not their contact number. I did call the number back and the male said "Billing & Collections". I told him I was returning a message that had been left and that all I could provide was the physical address, but that I would need an account number to cross-reference with all of our Duke Energy accounts because we have several. He said that he could not give me that information because we were "double red flagged" and I would have to speak with "legal". He asked me to be patient and he would transfer me. I was then disconnected.
Victim Location 47201
Type of a scam Utility
A man named "Bobby Johnson" contacted one of our Circle K stores stating our electric bill was over 60 days past due and would be shut off today without payment(Saturday) When you call the # back there are no extension to go through but he claimed he had been in contact with our corp. office and they have not made a payment yet. The less I was willing to help him he said please disregard this call and I will contact your corporate office Monday to establish payment. Phone number 8886240350
Victim Location 29631
Type of a scam Utility
Mike Lopez with Duke Energy disconnected department. Told me that if I did not pay within 45 minutes our electricity will be cut off. would not give total of bill or account number. Mr. Lopez said the bill amount and account number was private information. Mr. Lopez stated that he owed for December and Jan. Mr. Lopez stated that I needed to call the billing number to get he amount owed. Spoken very broken English.
Victim Location 45069
Type of a scam Utility
Consumer received a phone call from (415) 548-7049 and the foreign man said his name was Victor and that he was from Duke Energy and that she owed money. He told her that if she did not pay the alleged debt immediately that Duke Energy would cut off her power. The consumer has been a customer of Duke Energy for many years. She called Duke Energy and they confirmed that she does not owe any debt and they confirmed that they did not call her. Consumer knows this is a scam.
Victim Location 28803
Type of a scam Debt Collections
A guy called me from 855.501.5519 at my dental office in Asheville NC saying that he was from Duke Energy and that I was behind on my bill. He wanted my credit card number to pay the balance or the power to my dental office would be turned off in 30 minutes. He was very rude and pushy. Again, he called from 855.501.5519.
Victim Location 45236
Type of a scam Utility
Someone representing Duke Energy called my business to report we were two months overdue in paying our utility bill and that we have been notified twice from them with no response from us. Because of this lack of response from us they would be cutting off our electricity within the hour if do not correct this lack of payment immediately.