Scam alert issued as communities get ready for 30th Annual “National Night Out"
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Many folks in cities and towns will hold block parties
tonight for the 30th annual National
Night Out. The event helps neighbors get to know one another and talk about
crime prevention. The idea is that friendly neighborhoods can be the best
deterrent for criminals.
Safety is always at the forefront of our minds. We always work
closely with law enforcement to alert customers about possible criminal
activity and we recently alerted authorities to a phone scam. It works like
this: a con-artist contacts customers claiming to be a utility employee and
asks for immediate bill payment with either a credit card or prepaid money
card. If the targeted customer does not cooperate, the caller threatens to disconnect
the person’s electric or natural gas service. Customers who have been impacted
by this scam should report it to their local police department.
Although this latest scam targets customers by phone, we
encourage customers to always obtain positive identification if someone appears
at your door stating they are there on the companies’ behalf. Our employees and
contractors have badges with the company logo, the employee’s name and color
photo.
Here is some more SAFE advice:
- Secure your personal information : LG&E and KU will never call and ask for credit or debit card numbers or other personal information. We never come to your home to collect a monthly bill.
- Always remember you have bill payment options: LG&E and KU offer customers a variety of official payment options. A complete list can be found at www.lge-ku.com/ways_to_pay.asp.
- First check with LG&E and KU if you’re suspicious: Customers who receive a suspicious live phone call, an email or letter should call LG&E and KU who will always verify official communications. LG&E customers should call 502-589-1444 (outside Louisville at 1-800-331-7370.) KU customers should call 1-800-981-0600.
- Elect to speak to an LG&E and KU representative: As a courtesy, LG&E and KU do make computer-generated calls to remind customers if their payment is late, and the call includes an option for customers to select if they want to make their payment by phone.
