You may have heard of imposters calling to demand that Magic Valley Electric Cooperative members make immediate payments to avoid having their power shut off.
Scammers don’t take summer vacations, as several MVEC members can attest. Reported efforts to scam consumers have been picking up in recent weeks, including one individual making claims of incorrect meter readings and another citing invalid checks.
We recently received a private message on our Facebook page from an MVEC member telling us “I just got a call from someone claiming to be from Magic Valley saying that my light was going to be cut off today, and she wanted my account number, which I didn’t give because she should have had it in front of her. Sounds like FRAUD to me.”
IT IS A SCAM! Magic Valley never makes these types of calls, nor do we disconnect service outside of regular business hours or on weekends. If a member does not pay their bill by the due date, MVEC will mail a disconnect notice to your home address, with a disconnection date listed on the notice.
“If you receive a call from someone claiming to be from Magic Valley, don’t give them any personal or financial information. Instead, hang up and call your local law enforcement and Magic Valley right away!” said Luis Reyes, MVEC’s Communications Manager. “Magic Valley will never ask for a pre-paid card to pay your bill—that is what many scammers ask for in the calls.”