SMECO scam alert

SMECO was recently contacted by customer-members who received phone calls from scammers targeting the Southern Maryland area. Scammers may identify themselves as SMECO employees and demand payment in order to avoid having electric service cut off.

If you receive a phone call from someone threatening to disconnect your power, you may hang up. If you want to verify account information, you can call SMECO directly. Our contact center is open 24 hours a day, every day. SMECO’s phone number is 1-888-440-3311, and it’s printed on every customer bill. The following describes SMECO’s routine for collecting payments from customers. 

     SMECO will mail a termination notice if a bill is past due.
     SMECO calls customers who owe a past due balance using an automated phone system with a recorded message; rarely will SMECO employees make personal “collection” phone calls. 
     Collection calls are made about 10 days before service is to be terminated. SMECO does not require payment at the time of the call.
     Unknown callers who give short deadlines and threaten to cut off service within an hour or two are probably running a scam.
     SMECO does not make collection calls or terminate service on weekends or holidays.
     If service is going to be terminated, a SMECO collector will knock on the customer’s door before turning off service. 
     SMECO collectors will accept credit card payments, checks, or money orders, but they do not accept cash.

For customers who believe they have received a fraudulent email or phone call, some basic guidelines follow.

     Customers should use the phone number printed on their monthly bill and only give payment information over the phone if they initiate the contact.
     Customers should not provide personal information, banking information, user names, passwords, or account information to unauthorized callers or in an email. 
     Customers should not provide Green Dot, Western Union, or Moneygram payments to unauthorized callers.
     Customers should never meet unauthorized callers at a local store or bank to make a payment—their personal safety could be at risk.