The Summerville Police Department is investigating a scam in which a local woman reported losing nearly $1,500 after receiving a telephone call from someone claiming to represent Georgia Power.

According to a police incident report filed Thursday, November 12, 2026, Celia Holt came to the Summerville Police Department around 3 PM to report that she had been the victim of a telephone scam.

Holt told police she owns Dirt Design & Decor, located at 9883 Commerce Street in Summerville. She said someone claiming to be with Georgia Power called her business and told her that she was behind on her electric bill and that her power would be disconnected.

The caller provided a telephone number, 1-888-469-4831, which Holt called back. She spoke with a woman who identified herself as Jessica Perez, extension 7250.

According to the report, the woman told Holt she owed $1,498.30 on her electric bill and instructed her to make the payment using a Green Dot payment method at CVS.

Holt told police she went to CVS and attempted to make the payment using a barcode provided by the caller. However, after receiving the barcode, CVS and the Dollar Store were unable to process the transaction.

The caller then instructed Holt to go to Walmart, where another barcode was sent to her. This time, the transaction went through.

Holt provided police with two receipts from the transaction, which were attached to the incident report.

She also reported speaking with a man who identified himself as George Cortazo, extension 2601, during the scam.

The incident report states that Captain Railey researched the telephone number used by the scammers and discovered that it had previously been associated with scams involving callers claiming to represent either Georgia Power or Alabama Power.

The Summerville Police Department says the investigation remains ongoing.

The incident serves as a reminder for residents and business owners to be cautious of unexpected telephone calls threatening immediate utility disconnection unless payment is made.

Scammers frequently use the names of legitimate utility companies to pressure customers into making payments through gift cards, prepaid payment services or other methods that are difficult to reverse.

Anyone receiving a suspicious call claiming to be from Georgia Power should hang up and contact the utility company directly using the telephone number listed on their bill or the company’s official website.

Residents should never provide payment information or purchase prepaid cards based solely on instructions from an unsolicited caller.

Anyone who believes they have been the victim of a similar scam is encouraged to contact local law enforcement.