GAHANNA, Ohio, Nov. 20, 2019 - Scammers aren’t taking a holiday break, and that means you need to be on the lookout. More than 400 scam attempts were reported to AEP Ohio last month and many more may have gone unreported.   

This week, AEP Ohio joins utility companies across the country in observing “Utility Scam Awareness Week.”

“It's always important to recognize any attempt to steal your money, but the added distractions of the holidays make it even more important to be vigilant," said Katie Grayem, AEP Ohio director of customer experience. “Thieves are always looking for new ways to target unsuspecting customers, and they can be very convincing.”  

The most common scam involves someone pretending to be an AEP Ohio employee. Scammers target customers over the phone, by email and at their doorstep. They often seek out the most vulnerable, including senior citizens, low-income residents and small business owners during their busiest hours.

How to Spot a Scam

You're most likely talking to a scammer if the person:

• Demands immediate payment.
• Asks for your personal account information.
• Insists on a prepaid credit card, wire transfer or other specific form of payment.
• Provides an unfamiliar phone number or asks to meet at an unusual location to make a payment.

How to Stay Safe

• If you’re told your account is past due, check your account status online or call (800) 672-2231. The number appears on your bill, too.
• Scammers can use computer programs to make it seem like they are calling from an AEP Ohio phone number. Always call the official AEP Ohio customer service number with questions about your account.
• Make payments only to authorized AEP Ohio agents or through AEPOhio.com.
• Remember that AEP Ohio employees will always show company ID when you ask.
• If you’re ever in doubt about someone’s identity, call AEP Ohio at (800) 672-2231.
• If you think you’re being targeted by a scammer, call AEP Ohio to report it. Representatives can verify your account status. AEP Ohio tracks scam attempts and works with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to identify and prosecute scammers.
• Follow us on social media. AEP Ohio monitors the latest threats and alerts customers through our Facebook and Twitter accounts.

For more information visit AEPOhio.com/StopScams.

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About AEP Ohio

AEP Ohio is based in Gahanna, Ohio, and is a unit of American Electric Power. AEP Ohio provides electricity to nearly 1.5 million customers. News and information about AEP Ohio can be found at AEPOhio.com.

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 18,000 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 about 5,200 megawatts of renewable generation. 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.