Today is Utility Scam Awareness Day

Written from press release

PLAINFIELD, Ind. — November 19, 2025

Duke Energy and the Better Business Bureau are marking the 10th annual Utility Scam Awareness Day on Wednesday by urging Indiana customers to slow down, verify who they’re talking to and report suspicious contacts before losing money to scammers.

So far in 2025, Duke Energy has received more than 5,600 scam reports across its service areas through the end of October, including 346 reports in Indiana, according to the company.

One of those cases involved a 73-year-old Duke customer in New Albany who lost $3,400 after a caller claimed his business was behind on its utility payments.

The scammer left a voicemail saying the power would be shut off if he didn’t pay immediately. When the business owner called back, he reached someone who claimed to be with Duke Energy and ultimately sent $3,400 through prepaid gift cards and wire transfers.

“I panicked,” the customer said in a statement provided by Duke Energy. “I knew better but still made the payments because I thought my business was at stake. I should have just checked my account on the Duke Energy website.”

Utility Scam Awareness Day is part of an effort by Utilities United Against Scams, a consortium of more than 150 utilities in the United States and Canada, to coordinate responses and share information about evolving scam tactics.

Duke Energy and the BBB are emphasizing a simple three-step message: Slow Down. Verify. Stop the Scam.

Customers are urged to pause if a call, text, email or in-person visit feels urgent or threatening, especially when it involves a demand for immediate payment. Instead of using phone numbers or links provided by a caller, customers should verify their account status through the official phone number or website listed on their bill.

Suspicious contacts should be reported to the utility and to law enforcement. Duke Energy also directs customers to use its online Scam Reporting Tool, the BBB Scam Tracker and the Federal Trade Commission’s consumer advice resources.

Company officials said some red flags are consistent across most utility scams:

• Threats to disconnect service immediately if payment is not made at once.
• Demands for payment through prepaid gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency or third-party apps.
• Callers or visitors who pressure customers not to hang up or who refuse to let them verify the contact through the company’s official channels.
• Offers of unexpected refunds or bill credits in exchange for personal or financial information.

Jessica Bishop, Duke Energy’s senior vice president for customer services operations, said the company’s policies differ sharply from those tactics.

“Scammers change scripts; our guidance doesn’t: We don’t threaten instant shutoff, and we don’t dictate how you pay,” Bishop said. “If you hear either, stop and verify with us directly.”

Duke Energy says it will never specify how a customer must pay a bill and will not threaten immediate service interruption during a single phone call or visit.

Jennifer Adamany, director of communication for the BBB of Central Indiana, said the scams are designed to trigger fear so people act before thinking.

“Utility scams are designed to create panic, using pressure and urgency to get people to act before they have time to think,” Adamany said in the release. “Slowing down, verifying the details and remembering that legitimate utilities will never demand payment through prepaid cards, cryptocurrency or third-party apps can help keep consumers safe.”

Customers who believe they are being targeted are advised to hang up the phone, shut the door or delete the message, then contact their utility directly using the information on their bill or the utility’s official website.

More information on utility scams and how to avoid them is available through Duke Energy, Utilities United Against Scams and the Better Business Bureau.

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