North Georgia EMC says that a scam caller has been particularly persistent in their harassment of NGEMC members.  Reports of the scammer were numerous towards the end of July.

The scammer has demanded that members drive to Kroger and purchase a prepaid card to make their payment and have in some cases insisted that the member stays on the line while they are waiting to purchase the cards, saying they will “process the disconnection immediately” if the member hangs up. Other members have reported receiving multiple threatening calls over a period of about 15 minutes.

NGEMC asks you to share this warning with others and to remember three things:

1. No utility, including NGEMC, will EVER require you to purchase a prepaid card or insist you remain on the line with their agents in a threatening manner.

2. If you feel threatened or are being pressured to act quickly on an unsolicited call, ALWAYS hang up IMMEDIATELY. You can call your utility back at one of their published phone numbers, but NEVER use a number left to you by a caller demanding payment. Find NGEMC’s contact information at www.ngemc.com/contactus. If it is a legitimate utility employee, they will not be offended when you choose to disconnect the call, nor will they contact you several times in a row.

3. If you are feeling pressured to make an immediate repayment to avoid disconnection, please know that NGEMC does not physically visit your home to disconnect for non-payment and that legitimate disconnections, when they occur, can be reversed very quickly. It is always better to risk being without electricity for a short time than to give money or your personal information to a scammer in an effort to avoid disconnection.

The bottom line is that you should never feel threatened by NGEMC or any other utility, nor should you ever feel obligated to stay on the phone with ANYONE. NGEMC is here to help our members, and we will be more than glad to help you check your account status when you call. Visit www.ngemc.com/scamalert for more alerts and tips. North Georgia EMC is an equal opportunity provider and employer.