Scams Come in All Forms


If you watch the news then you have probably heard the stories of people being taken by scams.

Maybe you got an email saying you won the Canadian Lottery, or some helpless soul in another country needs your help in relocating millions of dollars that they inherited after the untimely death of a loved one. If you are like me, you giggle to yourself and hit the delete button. But, many would be surprised to learn that these scams cost Americans millions of dollars each year as unsuspecting people hope to strike it rich in one way or another. Scams also come in the form of those posing as your electric cooperative or an associated agency. They call seeking your personal information so that they can ultimately dive into your bank account or steal your identity.

Recently, we made our members aware of a scam by which imposters disguised themselves as local agencies that provide assistance to help pay electric bills. The scammers told members that they needed to provide their bank account information so that the agency could place money in their account to help them pay their bill.

Don’t get caught in a scam; agencies never place money into the accounts of members. They instead pay the utilities directly. 
Members have contacted us stating that they received a phone call from someone claiming to be an employee of BREC. The caller requested confirmation of some personal information in order to avoid disconnection of the service.

If you receive one of these calls or feel uneasy, please do not feel compelled to give out your information. Instead contact us immediately to report the incident at 800.231.2732.

It is best to remember that if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.