SMECO Warns of Scammer Threats

SMECO has learned that co-op members are receiving calls from scammers threatening to disconnect their power if they don’t make a payment. In some cases, the caller is giving a quick deadline and in others they are advising that members have only 30 minutes or an hour to pay. The caller ID even says SMECO.

Do not make a payment until you’ve checked your account balance.

SMECO will not call and threaten to disconnect your power in 30 minutes.

Don’t get tricked! Payment scams have become more prevalent as technology has developed over the years and people have found new ways to cheat unsuspecting consumers out of their hard-earned money. SMECO wants to prevent scammers from victimizing its customers.

If you receive a phone call from someone threatening to disconnect your power, you may hang up.

If you want to verify account information, call SMECO directly. The customer care center is open 24 hours a day, every day. SMECO’s phone number is 1-888-440-3311, and it’s printed on every customer bill.

The following describes SMECO’s routine for collecting payments from customers.

• SMECO will mail a termination notice if a bill is past due.
• SMECO calls customers who owe a past due balance using an automated phone system with a recorded message; rarely will SMECO employees make personal “collection” phone calls.
• Collection calls are made about 10 days before service is to be terminated. SMECO does not require payment at the time of the call.
• Unknown callers who give short deadlines and threaten to cut off service within an hour or two are probably running a scam.
• SMECO does not make collection calls or terminate service on weekends or holidays.
• If service is going to be terminated, a SMECO collector will knock on the customer’s door before turning off service.

SMECO collectors will accept credit card payments, checks, or money orders, but they do not accept cash.

For customers who believe they have received a fraudulent email or phone call, some basic guidelines follow.

Customers should use the phone number printed on their monthly bill and only give payment information over the phone if they initiate the contact.

• Customers should not provide personal information, banking information, user names, passwords, or account information to unauthorized callers or in an email.
• Customers should not provide Green Dot, Western Union, or Moneygram payments to unauthorized callers.

Customers should never meet unauthorized callers at a local store or bank to make a payment — their personal safety could be at risk.

Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative is a customer-owned electric cooperative providing electricity to more than 150,000 services in southern Prince George’s County, Charles County, St. Mary’s County and Calvert County.

To learn more about SMECO, please visit their Leader Member Page. Visit SMECO on their Facebook Page and Twitter.