The Office of the Sheriff wants to share information related to a newly present scam that has victimized a resident in our county. Recently, a resident received a phone call from someone claiming to be AEP and informing them that their electric bill was past due and must be paid to keep the power turned on. The resident was given specific instructions on how to access a Bit Coin kiosk to deposit money to the “pay the bill”. This is slightly different than the typical gift
card purchases or “paying with account number over the phone” tactics.
(1) Companies will not call you and tell you that you have to pay something over the phone.
(2) Use online portals with secure logins or paper invoices to take care of bill payments.
(3) No legitimate company, business, or agency will ask you to pay a fee via a gift card or Bit Coin.
(4) When in doubt – HANG UP, find the main phone number to that business, call back and ask them to check your account for any discrepancy. If you owe a balance, then that office will be able to confirm that for you!