Omaha Public Power District says customers are reporting another spike in scam phone calls.
On Friday, the utility said they have received more than 30 reports of these calls, and they say that number continues to climb. OPPD says scammers may be trying to take advantage of customers who are feeling vulnerable due to the pandemic.
They say the scammers tactics are typically the same, falsely claiming to represent the utility and trying to convince customers they owe money. OPPD says the scammers can be quite aggressive in their tone, often instructing customers to use a pre-paid card to settle up. The utility says on Friday, they've also been hearing that the callers are asking customers to use a cash app and are threatening to disconnect service if customers do not pay.
Many customers are telling OPPD that the number scammers are calling from has an 810 area code. These callers are also known to use “spoofing” technology so that caller identification appears to show a legitimate OPPD phone number. The utility says some customers are reporting that the callers are “spoofing” the phone number for Nebraska Public Power District, while claiming to represent OPPD.
OPPD says call center representatives would never cold-call a customer demanding immediate payment. If customers were truly overdue on their bills to the point where service could be disconnected, they would receive written notice first. The utility says their representatives never request payment via a purchased payment card or cash app.
Customers who have questions about their bill status or in need of financial assistance should call OPPD at 402-536-4131 in the Omaha area or 877-536-4131 outside of the Omaha area.