There have been several recent incidents where Alabama Power customers have been approached by people pretending to be company employees, according to Alabama Power officials.

The customers are phoned and told they have a short deadline to make a payment. A number, which appears to be from Alabama Power Company, also shows up on the customer’s caller I.D.

The scammer tells the customers to go to a local retailer, such as Walmart, CVS or Walgreens, to purchase a money pack for a certain amount. The customer is instructed to phone another number to share the account number of the prepaid card. In some cases, the customer gets an answering machine that says “This is Alabama Power” and tells the customer to leave the information on a recording. Alabama Power customers should be aware that:

Scams arise from time to time and can be directed toward commercial or residential customers.

Most scams of this nature are “hit and run,” moving to other parts of the country to avoid being caught. This one has persisted for longer than most, and many other utilities across the U.S. have also been affected.

This scam has had a higher success rate than others our customers have experienced.

To avoid being scammed, Alabama Power customers should remember:

• An employee will never come to your door and demand an immediate payment.
• No employee will ever call and ask you for bank information or a credit card number.
• Any Alabama Power employee who comes to your door for any reason will have company identification that he or she will gladly show.

If you have any questions about whether a person works for Alabama Power, call 1-888-430-5787 and do not let the employee inside your home until you receive proper verification.

Scammers sometimes claim they represent a public agency or government office offering grants that can pay your Alabama Power or other utility bill. Never provide anyone making this claim your credit card information, your Alabama Power Company bill information or account number, or any personal banking information. If someone makes this claim, call Alabama Power or your local police department to report it.