November 2013 South Carolina Living Magazine Vol. 1 | Page 7

Email COMMENTS, QUESTIONS AND Story suggestions TO [email protected] Consumer alert Hanging up on scammers Walter Allread State Attorney General Alan Wilson and co-op leaders from across South Carolina are warning state residents to be on the alert for a sophisticated telephone scam targeting utility consumers. Scam artists will call a home or business posing as a co-op or utility employee and threaten to shut off service in a matter of hours unless the consumer provides immediate payment, often by prepaid debit card. Small businesses, restaurants and Spanish-speaking consumers have all been targeted by this scheme in recent months. While the callers may sound official, the scam is easy to State Attorney General Alan Wilson and co-op leaders held a press conference spot, says Mike Couick, president and CEO of The Electric in October to warn consumers about the telephone scam.    Cooperatives of South Carolina. No co-op employee will ever call asking for immelook up your electric cooperative’s phone Web Extra Visit diate payment by credit card, prepaid SCLiving.coop for a related number. Call us and make sure you are story on how the scam affected one dealing with our representative.” debit card or wire transfer. unsuspecting co-op member. Wilson says state law enforcement “That’s not an official notification,” he officials are looking into reported fraud says. “It’s a scam.” cases, but he encourages consumers to protect themselves Co-op leaders stress that members who receive any call by shredding or destroying old utility statements, verifying regarding immediate payment of a bill should contact the the ID of any callers and reporting suspicious calls to law co-op directly. enforcement. “We are asking co-op members to be very wary of any “No one can protect you from being victimized better phone calls,” says Tom Upshaw, president and CEO of than you,” he says. Palmetto Electric Cooperative. “If in d ???????????????()Q?????????e????Q???????????()????????????+?$()%?????e????????????????)?????????????????)?????????????????)??????????????????]??)????????????????????)?????????????????)???????????????????)???????????????????)???????????????????)????????????????????)????????????????)?????????????????????)??????????????????)Q??????]?M???????)M??????Q??????]?M??????(($()]?????????????????????????????)???]????????????????????????????)??????????????!???e????????????)M???? ?????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????)??????????????? ???????????M???) ?????????????????]????????e???)Q????Q??????????????????)?????????????????????)?????????????)?? ???L???)?????????????????e?)Q???????-???9????????????? ?????????)M???????????? ?????????????????(?? ??????????????????)?????]????]??%$?5???????????????)?????????????????????(????]????????e????Q???)?????????????????????????????????????????e?????????Q??????????????????????Q?????????? ????????)???M???? ????????%????????????????????????????????]??????????????????????)????M???? ???????e?????????????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????e????Q???????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????)Q??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)M ????????????????????????????????)1??????(+?%?????()????????????????9??????????????????????M=UQ ? I=1%9?1%Y%9$((?((0