LCEC – Lee County Electric Cooperative

Scams – Protect Yourself

Knowledge is power. Protect yourself from dishonest scams and frauds

Scammers are using more sophisticated and intimidating strategies. The only way to protect yourself is to stay aware, know the facts and safeguard your personal information. You do not have to give personal or financial information to anyone calling you on the phone, sending you an email or showing up uninvited at your door. If you feel something is not quite right about the situation, contact LCEC immediately at 239-656-2300. Old and new scams occur every day.

Know what to look for

• Someone pretending to be an LCEC representative to get into your home
• Anyone soliciting your personal information or trying to sell products and services over the telephone or through the mail on behalf of LCEC
• Requests for personal information by email or websites appearing to be sent from LCEC
• Someone requesting immediate cash or “gift card” payment in person

How to protect yourself

LCEC employees and contractors are frequently in your neighborhood to perform routine maintenance, energy services, and conduct tree trimming. All LCEC employees and contractors carry a photo identification badge and can provide work documents with corporate contact information. Ask to see proof and call LCEC to verify, if you are in doubt.

Also, it’s important to remember that LCEC will not:

• Come into your home without making arrangements ahead of time
• Solicit personal information over the phone, unless you initiated the call
• Threaten to close your account if you do not take the immediate action of providing personal information
• Visit your home offering cash refunds on deposits or electric charges. We either credit your account or mail a check to your electric service address

When in doubt, check it out and use caution

• If someone suspicious is on your property claiming to be an LCEC representative, ask to see photo identification badge or work request number
• Contact LCEC at 239-656-2300 to inquire if representatives are in your area or to ask about your account
• Do not allow anyone into your home if you feel uneasy about if they are actually from LCEC
• Do not provide personal information such as bank account numbers, passwords, social security number or credit/debit card numbers over the phone unless you initiated the call
• Ignore suspicious emails that urge immediate action or request personal information
• Do not trust contact information provided in suspicious emails

Common scams

Phone Scam
Scammers are using false phone numbers that could appear to originate from LCEC on caller ID. They may also use a recording of LCEC customer care phone messages to sound authentic. The dishonest caller may threaten to disconnect power unless a payment is made immediately with a Green Dot MoneyPak card. LCEC will never call and demand credit card information or accept Green Dot MoneyPak cards as payment. This scam is impacting utility customers across the nation.

Bill Payment Scam
Scammers tell customers that a third party, in most cases the Federal Government or the President will pay their utility bill in exchange for their personal banking information or Social Security number. Often messages with third-party bank account information are shared on the Internet or between social networks. Unauthorized use of bank account information that does not belong to you is illegal and payments will be reversed when it is discovered.

Door-to-door sales or service scam
Dishonest people may knock on the door claiming to be associated with LCEC. The scam artists are usually very persistent, and use a variety of tactics to gain access to your home. In some cases, a team of scammers distracts the homeowner and the other robs the home.

Report fraud or scams

If you think you may have been a victim of a scam, please contact LCEC at 239-656-2300 and your local law enforcement fraud unit. You can also contact the authorities listed below:

• Financial Crimes Enforcement Network
• Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force
• Federal Trade Commission (File a complaint online)
• The United States Department of Justice