Nebraska Public Power District wants to make the public aware of a rapid uptick in scam calls taking place across the state on Tuesday.

Customers have reported receiving calls from scammers posing as representatives of NPPD, demanding payment.

“Unfortunately, this is the type of scam that impacts many communities every year.” said NPPD Retail General Manager Tim Arlt. “Anyone who receives such a call should not let their guard down and should contact our team and law enforcement immediately. Protecting our customers is a top priority.”

The recent scam has targeted customers in multiple communities including Aurora, McCook, York, Geneva, Pawnee City and Scottsbluff, but residents across Nebraska should be aware of the scam.

These predatory individuals state the bill must be paid immediately or the power will be shut off and will recommend several methods of payment. Sometimes the scammer’s caller-identification is falsified so it appears to originate from the utility company, a practice known as ‘spoofing’.

To help customers be wary of such scams, NPPD offers the following tips and suggestions:

-NPPD, as a business practice, does not call to ask customers for a credit card number.
-NPPD does not demand payment with a pre-paid card.
Any customer receiving such a call should not attempt to make payment over the phone using a credit
or debit card.
-Write down the call back number or consider asking where the caller is located.
Contact law enforcement.
-Let NPPD’s Centralized Customer Care Center at 1-877-ASK-NPPD (877-275-6773) know about the
call.
-If served electrically by a rural public power district or municipality, customers should contact that
organization before providing any type of payment.

An informational video concerning scam calls is currently available at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azpRmjS0hT8.