DEFUNIAK SPRINGS — Choctawhatchee Electrical Cooperative asks its customers to beware of scammers posing as utility companies in Walton and Okaloosa counties.
Scammers reportedly have called members on the telephone demanding payment by credit card and threatening to turn off their power if they don’t pay immediately. The scammers will give a name, badge number and ask members to call a 1-800 number to pay by credit card.
CHELCO asks customers to remember:
- CHELCO will never call a member at a home or business requesting personal information, including credit card numbers.
- CHELCO will never ask a member for money when visiting a home or business.
- All CHELCO employees carry badges with photo identification, his or her name and the CHELCO logo.
Report any incident to the local sheriff’s department. Call 689-5705 for Okaloosa County or 892-8111 for Walton County.
CHELCO is a not-for-profit electric distribution cooperative serving more than 49,000 accounts in Walton, Okaloosa, Holmes and Santa Rosa counties.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: CHELCO issues scam alert