(Omaha, NE) -- The Omaha Public Power District is reporting an uptick in scam calls to customers.
On Wednesday, OPPD reported receiving increased customer reports of phone calls from scammers, posing as utility employees. The utility says the scammers are often using “spoofing” technology, so the number they're calling from appears legitimate. OPPD says in most cases, the scammers try to convince a customer they owe on their bill and need to pay up immediately over the phone. If they don’t, the caller says their power will be disconnected.
In some cases, OPPD says scammers falsely claim that customers need to pay for equipment, such as meters, then try to get their targets to give up credit, debit or pre-paid card information over the phone. OPPD warns these callers do not represent the utility. The utility never cold calls customers demanding payment.
If customers receive such a call, OPPD says to hang up, and call them directly at 402-536-4131. Outside of Omaha, customers can call 1-877-536-4131, toll-free.