Duck River Electric Membership Corporation (DREMC) members should be on guard for an electric payment scam that has hit DREMC members over the weekend, taking advantage of a Bedford County business that fell victim to the scammers.
The people behind this fraud sound professional as they instruct DREMC members to pay a specific amount due or electric service will be disconnected. The scammers have reportedly spoofed the DREMC Shelbyville district phone number, 931-684-4621, so the call appears official. Upon talking to the scammer, the local business employee was told that the business had failed to pay a $1,000 deposit for which a notice was previously mailed. The DREMC member was then instructed to pay by purchasing Money Pak cards, scratching off the back to reveal the verification numbers so that the scammer could immediately apply the value of the money cards toward the unpaid deposit in order to avoid disconnecting the business’ electric service.
The member was told to call 855-303-7775 to complete the payment transaction once the money cards were purchased. DREMC has no toll-free numbers, so you are advised to hang up and call your local DREMC office to verify the payment request.
Remember, if you ever have questions about your bill, a deposit amount or a recent payment, call your local DREMC office yourself to ensure that you are talking to an actual DREMC employee.
Be advised that DREMC will not demand that you immediately purchase Green Dot, or any other prepaid credit cards in order to pay an unpaid balance. Be alert and do not give any personal or financial information to an unknown source.
There are a variety of ways to pay DREMC bills, including in the local offices, by phone talking to a DREMC representative on lines manned 24/7, online at www.dremc.com and by using our free and secure mobile app download.
If you receive a suspicious message regarding your electric service, please contact your local DREMC district office immediately.
Scam Alert from DREMC
