Watch out for utility scams

Got this notice as Mayor. It appears Alliant customers, which is what we are in Roland were scammed. No reports of it in Roland, but always a good reminder. Same story for our city utilities of water and sewer. If you have any questions regarding your utilities, or if something is legit, feel free to call City Hall for confirmation.

This year, utility companies reported that several Iowans were victimized by different utility-related scams:

Last month, MidAmerican Energy reported a phone scam in the Des Moines area, where someone who claimed to represent MidAmerican contacted several customers claiming they needed to make an immediate payment to avoid disconnection.

Recently, Alliant Energy customers in Marshalltown and Perry lost several hundred dollars each when a caller convinced them that they owed back payments to the utility company. Neither customer owed money, but they responded to the threat of being disconnected by paying instantly through buying a “pre-paid credit card.”

Throughout the year, callers across the country reported receiving calls from people who claimed the federal government was providing credits or applying payments to utility bills, and customers could qualify by providing personal information, such as bank account information and Social Security numbers.