ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) – It was a normal Thursday at Frantz Diamonds.
Jewelry was being sold, and customers were happy,
It was then owner Sherry Frantz received a call from who she thought was Appalachian Power.
“They were getting ready to turn our power off in 20 minutes. That we had a bill that was 60 days past due,” she said. “And they were getting ready to turn our power off unless we paid the bill right away.”
The only problem is that Frantz paid her bill at the start of the month, but she says the AEP employee was convincing.
Giving her a claim number, customer service number, and detailed instructions on how to prevent her power from being turned off.
“I said, well, how do I pay it when I get there? And she said, I’ll text you a barcode, and you’ll show them the barcode, and it’ll walk you through it,” Frantz said.
The lady on the phone would ask Frantz to withdraw $999.88 from the bank and call the number back so she could complete the payment. Something she felt wasn’t right.
“I hung up and called AEP, and they said, your bill is current. You don’t owe us anything until the end of the month, “she said. “there was nothing past due. And so we realized it was a scam.”
Frantz said the AEP operator told her she was the third person that day to report a scam.
Now, Frantz wants to warn others so they avoid falling victim.
“Get the number on your bill and call them with that phone number and your account number, not the phone call that you’re getting.
Because they told us to call this 800 number, but that’s a scam. You need to call the number on your bill,” she said.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of a scam, call your local law enforcement agency or visit the Internet crime complaint center at www.ic3.gov
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