Scammers pretending to be from Delmarva Power

We have an important scam alert for people living in Delaware.

The Department of Justice is warning about callers pretending to be from Delmarva Power.

The suspects tell unassuming customers that they have an overdue bill and threaten to shut off their service within minutes if the fake balance isn't paid.

The callers demand these large payments in MoneyPak cards, iTunes gift cards, or other prepaid card products.

If you receive a call like this, Delmarva says you should ask the caller to give you an account number or property address to verify that they are legitimate.

Another tip is to tell the caller you will check your bill yourself and then call the company number listed on your statement.

And Delmarva employees will never ask for gift cards as a form of payment.

Some tips to protect personal information include:

-Asking callers pointed questions to verify that they are who they say they are;

-Reviewing monthly bills for any information about amounts due;

-Asking callers for time to review records before agreeing to pay any amounts - legitimate collection calls will allow time to verify the balance due;

-Wariness of any calls where a caller employs a threat of any kind to try to compel immediate financial action; and

-Declining to answer calls from unfamiliar numbers or callers, or hanging up if the caller pressures the consumer.

The CPU Unit encourages consumers who believe they may have been scammed to call its toll-free Consumer Hotline at (800) 220-5424 or email consumer.protection@delaware.gov. Consumers who have lost money to scam calls should make a report to their local police agency.