Valley residents are being warned of a scam targeting Valley Electric Association, Inc. members.
Businesses and residential members are reporting calls they receive after business hours and on weekends from callers stating they are VEA employees.
The individuals threaten to shut the victim’s power off unless they make an immediate payment over the phone, VEA said. The callers ask the residents to purchase prepaid credit cards.
VEA stresses that the individuals making the calls are not associated with the co-op, and that they will not call members after business hours or on weekends to discuss billing matters.
Members are warned to not give out their social security numbers, credit card information, birth date, bank account numbers or any other personal information to such callers.
VEA urges members to hang up on the callers immediately and contact Nye County Sheriff’s Detective Sergeant Mike Eisenlofel by phone at 775-751-7000 or via email at meisenlofel@co.nye.nv.us. Members can also contact Detective Corey Fowles at cfowles@co.nye.nv.us.
VEA also suggests members call the VEA main office at 775-727-5312 to report such instances.
Contact reporter Mick Akers at makers@pvtimes.com. Follow @mickakers on Twitter.