Dominion Energy has received reports of a utility scam in northeastern North Carolina targeting business customers, especially in Roanoke Rapids and surrounding areas.

The scammers call local businesses demanding a deposit for a meter upgrade and threaten to disconnect service if the money is not paid.

These calls are not coming from official Dominion Energy representatives.

During this time of year, the company often sees an increase in scam activity when customers may be vulnerable or distracted during the busy rush of the holiday season.

Know the warning signs of a utility scam:

Dominion Energy will never demand payment with a credit or debit card by phone or ask a customer to wire a transfer, send a money order or buy a prepaid or gift card to pay a utility bill.

Dominion Energy does not call and threaten service disconnection if a customer does not make a payment immediately.

Utility scammers are known to falsify their caller ID to make it appear the call is from a Dominion Energy customer service number. When in doubt, hang up.

Utility scammers often target small businesses and threaten service disconnection during peak business hours to instill fear and a sense of urgency.

Customers should not allow individuals claiming to be Dominion Energy employees to enter their homes without proper identification, an appointment, or a reported emergency.

What to do if you receive a suspicious call:

Hang up. Do not provide an account, payment, or any other personal information.

Verify. Scammers do not typically know the customer's account balance. Customers can verify their account balance and payment due date on the Dominion Energy app or online. 

Ignore. Do not respond to suspicious emails or text messages. Do not click on links or attachments prompting energy bill payment.

The company encourages customers to report the scams to the company and to the Federal Trade Commission at this link 

Reporting scams to Dominion Energy helps it monitor customer accounts and track scam trends in its service areas. 

Reporting scams to the Federal Trade Commission helps track trends across regions, utilities, and industries. Both types of reporting helps to better inform and support customers.