Tucson Electric Power is warning its customers about a phone scam that has resulted in about 100 reports to the company over the last week.
In just three days — Tuesday through Thursday — TEP’s customer-care center received about 100 reports that all follow the same pattern.
The caller claims to work for TEP, threatening to disconnect service for unpaid bills or damaged electric meters that need to be replaced for safety reasons. The caller instructs customers to make payment over the phone with a prepaid money card within a limited time to avoid shutoff.
By comparison, TEP has received a total of about 200 reports in the first seven months of this year. In 2016, TEP received approximately 250 such reports.
TEP does not employ methods like these used by scammers to collect payments. TEP only contacts customers by phone with automated bill-payment reminders as a courtesy.
TEP urges customers who receive such calls and those with questions about their account to call 623-7711. Legitimate payment options can be found at tep.com/pay-my-bill
