It seems with each passing day the tricks used by scammers to get your money is becoming more sophisticated. Thankfully, many organizations and utilities like Farmers Electric continue to educate their members on ways to protect themselves, even as these attempts ramp up. 

This time of year, our focus is on keeping warm. Heat is essential for our health and livelihood. And the scammers know this, which is why they will pose as a Farmers Electric representative to threaten to turn off your heat if immediate payment isn’t made. Farmers Electric will never threaten to disconnect your electricity without first working with you to remedy the past due payments and provide sufficient notice of disconnection. 

If you receive one of these calls, it can be intimidating, and you may feel pressure to give out your credit card or bank information. It’s important to remember that the scammer called you, and that you have the power to end the call. Your next call should be to the cooperative to confirm whether your account is in good standing. We will be able to review your account with you, and also let our other members know that scammers are targeting our area so they can be extra vigilant. 

Remember, trust your gut. If something makes you feel uncomfortable or pressured to provide immediate payment, that’s a red flag. You don’t have to be nice to scammers, either. You can simply hang up and then contact us to verify your information. 

Farmers Electric is committed to keeping our members safe in more ways than just around electricity!