SVEC Reports Scam
Residents Told To Pay ‘Late’ Bills
Posted: January 22, 2013
HARRISONBURG — A local power company warns customers to look out for a phone scam that has swindled at least one of its members.
Several members of the Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative have received calls from people claiming to work for SVEC, Michael Aulgur, a spokesman for the Mount Crawford-based utility, said Monday.
The scammers tell members that their electric bills are past due and that their power will be shut off if they do not pay immediately, Aulgur said.
The scammers then tell members that they must put a certain amount of money on a Visa Green Dot card, then call an 800 number with the card’s authorization number.
“You go in with cash, and you put that cash, whatever it is, on the prepaid card,” Aulgur said. “Subsequently, because it’s only cash, it’s difficult to trace.”
So far, the one confirmed SVEC member to have been scammed, lostbetween $250 and $500.
“If someone is receiving a notice pending termination, that is going to be in writing from the cooperative,” Aulgur said. “We will never contact [members] other than by written means.”
He explained that those who face termination receive at least two notices informing them of an overdue bill.
“We’ve asked these individuals to contact local authorities immediately to make them aware of the situation,” Aulgur said. “So, hopefully, it can be investigated in the future.”
SVEC delivers power to about 90,000 Valley homes and businesses in a service area that includes Rockingham, Page, Shenandoah and Augusta counties.
For more information, co-op members are directed to call their local office, or go online to www.svec.coop .
Contact Alex Rohr at 574-6293 or arohr@dnronline.com
Several members of the Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative have received calls from people claiming to work for SVEC, Michael Aulgur, a spokesman for the Mount Crawford-based utility, said Monday.
The scammers tell members that their electric bills are past due and that their power will be shut off if they do not pay immediately, Aulgur said.
The scammers then tell members that they must put a certain amount of money on a Visa Green Dot card, then call an 800 number with the card’s authorization number.
“You go in with cash, and you put that cash, whatever it is, on the prepaid card,” Aulgur said. “Subsequently, because it’s only cash, it’s difficult to trace.”
So far, the one confirmed SVEC member to have been scammed, lostbetween $250 and $500.
“If someone is receiving a notice pending termination, that is going to be in writing from the cooperative,” Aulgur said. “We will never contact [members] other than by written means.”
He explained that those who face termination receive at least two notices informing them of an overdue bill.
“We’ve asked these individuals to contact local authorities immediately to make them aware of the situation,” Aulgur said. “So, hopefully, it can be investigated in the future.”
SVEC delivers power to about 90,000 Valley homes and businesses in a service area that includes Rockingham, Page, Shenandoah and Augusta counties.
For more information, co-op members are directed to call their local office, or go online to www.svec.coop .
Contact Alex Rohr at 574-6293 or arohr@dnronline.com