Be Aware of Electric Department Scams:
Be aware of scammers who pose as utility employees and demand immediate payment or personal information under the false threat of service disconnection. Criminals’ tactics are becoming increasingly sophisticated and tend to intensify during the holiday season.
Thieves typically attempt to steal money by phone or in person but be on the lookout for falsified mail and email as well.
Scammers tend to call customers and
- Threatening to shut off power unless an immediate payment is made;
- Telling customers, they need a new meter, but a payment must be made before the new meter is installed;
- Going door to door and negotiating total bill amounts if an immediate payment is made;
- Offering a discount on their bill if they sign up for auto-pay;
- Demanding a deposit be paid immediately.
If customers receive this type of call or solicitation hang up the phone and call the Utility Billing Office at 540-731-3602, a City of Radford employee can tell you if we have contacted you about your bill. Do not give the caller a prepaid card, such as a Green Dot card, a wire transfer or any other form of payment. Ignore suspicious requests for personal information such as bank account numbers, user names and passwords, credit card numbers or Social Security numbers.