Scammers pretending to be AEP employees to get to your bank account

In an ABC57 consumer alert, a new scam is making the rounds in Elkhart County that could target your bank account!

Indiana Michigan Power is warning its customers about thieves calling and making threats about your utility service.

According to our reporting partners at the Elkhart Truth scammers are calling their customers pretending to be employees with I&M and are threatening to disconnect services unless a payment is made.

AEP says the scammers can make it seem like the call is coming from the 1-800 number that’s linked to their customer service.

That’s when customers are told they have late payments and can lose some services if the account is made current. Scammers instruct the consumers to get a debit card and then call back to make a payment of whatever the fixed amount is.

I&M says this is not the first time; in fact it’s happened frequently across the country.

If you do receive a phone call, you should immediately hang up and contact the I&M company using the phone number listed on your statement.