Over the last two days, SECO Energy has noticed an escalation in reports from members in The Villages who have been targeted by phone scammers in a combination of live person calls and automated robo calls. The scam callers demand payment within 30 minutes or service will be disconnected. Some scam callers have advised that a truck is in the area to collect cash payment or payment can be made via PayPal.

The scam appears to be a boots-on-the ground effort to collect cash, money cards or PayPal funds. The scams have been identified as a Villages-targeted effort, and SECO has notified law enforcement. SECO does not collect money in the field or call to threaten disconnection of service if payment isn’t rendered. SECO does not disconnect service after regular business hours or on the weekend.

If a member is contacted and the caller indicates someone is in the area to collect payment, the member should call the local law enforcement agency to report it. An impersonator on the phone often tries to make a scam believable by providing a name and employee identification number – don’t fall for it. The caller may pretend to know your account details. Do not fall for this or reveal any financial or account information to a scammer.

In the field, SECO employees carry company identification and drive company vehicles with the SECO Energy logo displayed prominently. SECO authorized contractor vehicles are marked as an authorized contractor and display the SECO logo. Contract employees carry SECO-issued contractor Identification. If you are approached by a SECO employee or contractor, please ask to see the individual’s ID. If you don’t have an appointment with a SECO employee, don’t answer the door. Call law enforcement.

For more information on scams, visit our website and click the Scams banner.