OTEC Reminds customers to be mindful of phone and phishing scams
By Garrett Christensen on Wednesday, March 20th, 2024 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
NORTHEAST OREGON – Utility scams are, unfortunately, quite common. Persons pretending to represent energy providers often call and demand payment or personal information under threat of service being shut off or an account being locked. To help combat fraud locally, Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative (OTEC) recently issued the following information on how customers can avoid being scammed:
“OTEC will NOT call you and demand payment.
Don’t give out personal information or provide any payment type to callers claiming to represent your co-op. Your local co-op will already have your relevant personal and account information. Take your time: Do not be rushed. If you receive a call, text, email, or visitor saying you have to pay your bill immediately to avoid disconnection, tell them you would like to verify that they are a legitimate co-op representative by calling a verified number for the local co-op office.
Beware if a representative exhibits impatience, annoyance, or anger when you question their authority. While a scammer will discourage you from hanging up and calling the number on your utility bill, a real co-op representative will encourage you to do so for your own peace of mind.”
For information on recognizing and combating scams in Eastern Oregon, see our article at: https://elkhornmediagroup.com/elderly-exploitation-understanding-and-combating-modern-scams-in-oregon/
