CARMEL — Carmel resident Bob Hall has called Hamilton County home for the last 25 years. On Sunday, he got a call from a number that he didn’t recognize.
"They had my name, my address, the amount I owed and my phone number," Hall told WRTV.
The caller claimed that they were from Duke Energy and said Hall needed to pay his bill immediately or that they were going to shut his energy off.
“I called Duke and got the automated bill and they told me my bill wasn’t due until the 18th of October, so I knew that it was a scam, cause how can I get my power shut off when I'm paid up?” Hall said.
The scammer said Hall owed over $200, which was accurate. Hall tells WRTV he pays all of his bills on time and when he questioned the person on the other end of the line, they hung up.
The most recent numbers from Duke Energy show that scams happen more often than people may realize.
"Customers are becoming more aware of scammers take advantage during times of crisis. We saw an uptick in attempts during the pandemic," Angeline Protogere with Duke Energy said.
In Indiana, more than 2,200 scams were reported to Duke Energy in 2021 and 90 people, or 4.1% of people were deceived by the scammer. Duke says about $38,000 was paid to scammers during that time period.
"If a customer is at risk for disconnection, they are going to get multiple notices from us and again we would never call them and threaten to disconnect them within 30 minutes," Protogere said. "We would never tell a customer to get a prepaid debit card."
MORE: Information on assistance from Duke Energy
Hall has this message to Hoosiers to make sure they don't become the victim of a scam.
"Don’t just automatically give them your credit card number – hang up," Hall said.
You can report fraud and scams directly to Duke Energy online.
On Monday, the Indiana Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) opened applications. Hoosiers can get help paying energy and water bills. For more information and to apply, click here.
-
New west side food pantry aims to feed body and soul
While many attend church for prayer and worship, one group at a west side church is adding a unique element to their services.
1 dead, three others injured in two-vehicle Noblesville crash
A 38-year-old man is dead following a crash near the intersection of 146th Street and Promise Road in Noblesville Wednesday night, police said.
Indianapolis Mayor praises state lawmakers for passing House Bill 1461
HB 1461 aims to enhance transportation infrastructure management, provide financial incentives and modify funding dynamics for local units and counties.
Richmond house explosion leaves two in 'life-threatening' condition
Two people were left in "life-threatening" condition Thursday following a house explosion in Richmond, police said.
