Pacific Power Customers Targeted In Phone Scam

Pacific Power is concerned about an ongoing phone scam that targets the company's customers in the Yakima Valley.

Officials say criminals are posing as utility customer service agents trying to get money and steal personal information. They say the fraud is happening nationwide but they've seen a recent surge in the Northwest.
The crooks sometimes use sophisticated deceptive tactics that make it appear to caller ID systems that the scam call is coming from the utility when it is not. If customers receive such a call, hang up and instead call 1-888-221-7070 to verify the call's origins.
Pacific Power call center agents can be reached anytime day or night, toll free at 1-888-221-7070. That is the only number to call for any customer service you need or if you suspect a call may not actually be from Pacific Power. Valerie Smith, director of customer service says "so far, this has affected a relatively small number of customers, but any customer being taken advantage of in this way is one too many we encourage any customer who has been contacted in this manner to report the contact to local law enforcement."
Anyone receiving such calls or other contact regarding their utility account or bill is encouraged to pay close attention to any information -- such as the phone number they are asked to call, a number that appears on caller ID, an address where they're told to send money- and then call 1-888-221-7070 to report the incident to local police and Pacific Power.