Lubbock Power and Light warned its customers of a phone scam that started circulating Monday afternoon.
“If somebody calls you and it’s a live person, and they say ‘Pay this bill or we’re going to cut you off in an hour,’ that’s a scam,” LP&L Spokesperson Matt Rose said.
Rose said plenty of criminals are disguising their numbers to match Lubbock’s ‘806’ area code, so you’re more likely to answer the phone.
“They have the ability to call you with what might seem like a very legitimate business front, giving you perhaps a website to go to, or a phone number to call to make payment,” Rose said.
Rose said widespread phone scams have been known to attack electrical companies nationwide, usually during two specific time periods.
“Seasonal changes, which we’re going through right now, summer to winter or winter to summer, and around major holidays.”
Rose said LP&L will never call customers demanding payment on the phone, with a live person on the other end.
If you did get duped, there’s a few steps you could take to protect yourself.
“Hang up the phone, give us a shout. Contact the Lubbock Police Department, and we’ll take it from our end,” Rose said.