Scams are not unique to I&M, nor have they gone away with the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Scams have been reported across the U.S. targeting various utility customers and companies. Some scam calls have recently been reported to I&M, including calls where scammers are speaking in other languages, like Spanish.
The scams often vary, but often work like this:
- Customers receive calls from scammers falsely identifying themselves as I&M employees.
- The caller claims the customer is late paying their bill, and their power will be disconnected if the customer does not pay immediately.
- Many scammers “spoof” the telephone number to appear as a different number. In some cases, it may appear to be an authentic I&M phone number.
- Customers are usually instructed to call a different number to arrange payment.
- The scammers may seek account information or personal credit card and banking information from customers. Some direct customers to buy a debit card and provide the debit card number.
During the pandemic, I&M has suspended disconnects for non-payment. We remind customers that they are still responsible for their bills and it is important that they continue paying for their usage.
For assistance on paying their bill, Indiana customers can contact us at 800-311-4634; Michigan customers should call 800-311-6424. We also encourage customers to follow us on Facebook (facebook.com/indianamichiganpower) and Twitter (@IN_MI_Power) where they can speak directly with customer service specialists on those platforms.
Regardless of the situation, I&M employees NEVER call customers demanding immediate payment. Nor does I&M disconnect service without prior written warning.
Anyone receiving such calls should hang up and call I&M’s Customer Operations Center at 800-311-4634 to report the scam.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the physical distancing recommendations made by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), I&M and our contractors are limiting in-person visits during this process to ensure the public’s and our employee’s safety and health.
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Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) is headquartered in Fort Wayne, and its approximately 2,100 employees serve more than 599,000 customers. More than two-thirds of its energy delivered in 2019 was emission-free. I&M has at its availability various sources of generation including 2,278 MW of nuclear generation in Michigan, 450 MW of purchased wind generation from Indiana, more than 22 MW of hydro generation in both states and approximately 15 MW of large-scale solar generation in both states. The company’s generation portfolio also includes 2,620 MW of coal-fueled generation in Indiana.
American Electric Power, based in Columbus, Ohio, is focused on building a smarter energy infrastructure and delivering new technologies and custom energy solutions to our customers. AEP’s more than 17,000 employees operate and maintain the nation’s largest electricity transmission system and more than 219,000 miles of distribution lines to efficiently deliver safe, reliable power to nearly 5.4 million regulated customers in 11 states. AEP also is one of the nation’s largest electricity producers with approximately 32,000 megawatts of diverse generating capacity, including 4,300 megawatts of renewable energy. AEP’s family of companies includes utilities AEP Ohio, AEP Texas, Appalachian Power (in Virginia and West Virginia), AEP Appalachian Power (in Tennessee), Indiana Michigan Power, Kentucky Power, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, and Southwestern Electric Power Company (in Arkansas, Louisiana and east Texas). AEP also owns AEP Energy, AEP Energy Partners, AEP OnSite Partners and AEP Renewables, which provide innovative competitive energy solutions nationwide.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Schnee’ Garrett
Indiana Michigan Power Communications
574-283-1852
smgarrett@aep.com