Rocky Mountain Power Warns of Recurring Billing Scam

A scam has resurfaced in the Casper area with people calling Rocky Mountain Power customers and threatening to shut off their electricity if payment is not made immediately.

Rocky Mountain Power spokeswoman Tiffany Erickson said these utility scams are common, but sometimes a surge of them happens in one area.

The company recently has received a spike in complaints from Wyoming and the Casper area, Erickson said.

The scams are common, but the techniques are sophisticated.

Rocky Mountain Power will not demand immediate payment for damaged or broken electrical equipment or any other service. Likewise, Erickson said, "We'll never ask for payment over the phone."

"We're never going to call and threaten our customers," she added.

Rocky Mountain Power will not demand immediate payment for damaged or broken electrical equipment or any other service. Be suspicious of anyone who approaches you by phone, email, text, or in person and asks for on-the-spot payment, according to the website.

Scammers also may use a sophisticated deceptive tactic that makes it appear to Caller ID systems that the call is coming from Rocky Mountain Power when it is not. "They sound like us, Erickson said.

They use a tone of urgency that can trick people into acting hastily.

Sometimes the scammers will target a business during the middle of the day. For example, a scammer may call a restaurant during its lunch rush hour with a room full of customers and threaten to cut off power.

They also will target the elderly, she said.

Erickson advises people who receive such calls or other communications to hang up and call Rocky Mountain Power at 1-888-221-7070, your local police and the Federal Trade Commission at 877-FTC-HELP.

If someone purporting to be a Rocky Mountain Power employee contacts you in person, ask to see their identification badge. Legitimate employees carry ID badges with their name, photo, the company logo and verification number.

Rocky Mountain Power will report the complaints to the authorities, Erickson said.