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Scams Target Co-op Members

Sneaky and unrelenting, scammers continue to try and mislead DEC members into handing over important information or even money. These scammers wrongly claim to represent Delaware Electric Cooperative. This week, a Co-op member near Hartly reported receiving a call from someone warning them electric rates were rising. The recording went on to say the increase could be avoided by pressing one. The member who reported the incident to DEC hung up immediately, suspicious that she was being misled. She said no number appeared on her caller ID. DEC is not increasing rates and the phone call was the result of a scam. The member did the right thing by hanging up.

In a separate incident, a DEC member was approached by a man who promised to install a device on the member’s meter saving them up to 50-percent on their electric bill. The member paid the man $500 to install the device, which causes the meter to only record partial energy use. Of course, installing any device on a DEC meter is illegal and dangerous.

These are just a few of the recent scams targeting members and we’ve put together some tips to stop you from becoming a victim.

-What appears on your caller ID may not be accurate. Scammers can change what appears when they call.

-When in doubt, hang up and call DEC at 855-332-9090. If the person calling you is pushy or makes immediate demands, they are likely trying to scam you.

-Don’t provide personal information, like a social security number or banking information to someone requesting it over the phone unless you initiated the contact or are sure about who you are speaking with.  

If you think you’ve been contacted by a scammer, please call the Delaware Consumer Protection Unit, managed by the Attorney General’s Office, at (800) 220-5424.

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