Utility payment scam hits area

Duck River Electric Membership Corporation (DREMC) members should be on guard for an electric bill payment scam that has hit DREMC members this week.

The people behind this fraud use the name of Walter Griffin and instruct our members to pay their overdue electric bills, or they will be disconnected. The scammers have left this number, 818-813-7701, ext. 105, with our members to call back for instructions on paying their bills. Once members call this number, they are instructed to go to their nearest retailer that sells Green Dot cards. In some cases, the scammers know the member’s address, but not the account number or the exact amount of the bill. Thankfully, our members became immediately aware that this was a scam and did not give any payment information to the scammers.

“We appreciate our members for calling the Shelbyville DREMC district office and reporting the scam,” says Mike Bayne, Shelbyville district manager. “This gives us the opportunity to alert members across our entire service area.”

“Please remember, if you ever have questions about your bill or a recent payment, call your local DREMC office yourself to ensure that you are talking to an actual DREMC employee working in one of our local offices,” advised Bayne.

DREMC has contacted the local police department, and they are assisting in the investigation.

DREMC mails late notices if your bill is past due, and the notices include a scheduled disconnection date. There also are a variety of ways to pay bills, including in the local offices, by phone talking to a DREMC representative on lines manned 24/7, online at www.dremc.com and by using our free and secure mobile app download.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]