The phone rings and, when you answer it, you hear a recorded voice that says your power is going to be disconnected. All you have to do is make an easy, online payment to avoid a disruption in service.
Many consumers recognize this for what it is – a SCAM!
And as utility companies like Duke Energy and Piedmont Natural Gas know all too well, their customers often must navigate choppy internet waters to avoid becoming victims of online schemes and scams.
Duke Energy’s Beth Townsend offers some tips to stay safe as the utility recognizes Wednesday, Nov. 19 as the 10th annual Utility Scam Awareness Day—a decade-long commitment to helping communities slow down, verify and stop utility scams.
Townsend said Duke Energy and Piedmont Natural Gas will never:
- Specify how you must pay
- Threaten immediate service interruption
- Ask for personal info or payment details by phone, email or in person
“If you’re targeted, hang up, shut the door, or delete the message,” she said. Contact your utility using the info on your bill or the utility’s official website. And if you ever feel unsafe, call 911.
Townsend, Duke’s East Region director for Government and Community Relations, said the utility received more than 5,600 scam reports in 2025, with 2,338 coming from North Carolina.
“Scammers often demand immediate payment, threaten service cut-off or request payment via prepaid cards or cryptocurrency. Utilities will never do this,” Townsend said.
The most common types of scams, she said, include disconnection threats, links to fake webpages, a promise to mail refund checks and utility worker imposters, she noted.
Customers can protect themselves in several different ways:
- Slow Down: If a payment request feels urgent or suspicious, pause and protect yourself.
- Verify: Always use the official phone number or website from your bill.
- Stop the Scam: Report any suspicious contact to your utility and law enforcement.
Townsend included the following resources to report scams or to learn more:
- Duke Energy Scams and Fraud Information
- Duke Energy Scam Reporting Tool
- Piedmont Natural Gas Scams & Fraud Information
- BBB Scam Tracker
- FTC Consumer Advice
Click Play!
