Scammers once again threatening to turn off your power

As Virginia begins gradually reopening after COVID-19 shutdowns, measures that protected people from evictions, utility shutoffs, and other payment deferrals will slowly begin to be lifted.

Scammers know that, and are hoping to take advantage of it to get your money.

Throughout the pandemic, with public utilities ordered to suspend all service terminations in Virginia and West Virginia, some scammers changed up their normal strategy and

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But now, scammers are returning to one of their tried-and-true methods: threatening to turn your utilities off.

The scam, which always preys on people's fears, is especially malicious as millions of Americans deal with job losses.

According to the Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative, they've gotten several reports in recent weeks of callers demanding immediate payment or threatening to shut off your power. In one case. they say a caller told someone they owed money because they had an old meter installed and were persistent in trying to pressure the person into paying.

But in Virginia, the

, just after the current State of Emergency for COVID-19 is set to expire.

So no utility company can legally shut your power off right now. But the scammers hope you don't know that.

Many utilities, like SVEC, are not only not shutting off power; they've suspended late fees temporarily too.

Nonetheless, people are using the names of recognizable utilities and threatening to turn off your utilities to steal your money or personal information.

The SVEC wants their members to know that their employees will never call and demand immediate payment over the phone.

You should be wary of any caller who gives inadequate notice of an impending disconnect or interruption in service, as well as anyone who demands prepaid debit cards, such as Green Dot cards, as a form of payment.

“First and foremost, we want our members to know that no representative of the cooperative will ever mention a specific credit card or payment method, and our employees will only communicate about potential termination of electric service with members through a mailed notification, not through a phone call asking the member to pay for their service by credit card,” said J. Michael Aulgur, SVEC Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer. “Unfortunately, during this pandemic virus when people are already feeling additional stress on their daily lives, scammers are trying to take advantage of others. We want our members to be aware that correspondence of this nature will not be generated by the cooperative.”

If SVEC members have any questions about their account, they can call 1-800-234-7832 for more information. That 800- number is the only toll-free number associated with SVEC.

Additionally, if you suffer a financial loss as a result of a scam call, you should contact law enforcement immediately.

In all instances, you should be cautious with any unsolicited email, phone call or other forms of communication. You should never share personally identifiable, financial and otherwise sensitive data or agree to send cash, wire money or provide numbers associated with a credit/debit card, gift card or bank account without verifying the legitimacy of the recipient.

In West Virginia, the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Hotline – 1-800-368-8808 – is open to anyone wishing to report scams, price gouging or other manners by which bad actors may try to take advantage of consumers during the pandemic. Written complaints can also be filed at

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In Virginia, you can report scams or price gouging to Attorney General Herring’s Consumer Protection Section by calling (800) 552-9963, emailing consumer@oag.state.va.us, or going through the online

. More info is

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If you believe you have been the victim of fraud, or need more information about COVID-19 scams, click

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To report fraud directly to the FBI, click

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Some examples of coronavirus scams that have been circulating include:

• Government relief check scams: Scammers send you a message make a social media post claiming you qualify for a COVID-19 government grant and just need to click a link to fill out the "necessary" personal information. In the process, your identifying information is stolen.

No matter what the message, don’t click! In addition to taking your money, these sites can also download malware to your device and use your information for identity theft.

• Treatment scams: Scammers are offering to sell fake cures, vaccines, and advice on unproven treatments for COVID-19.

• Supply scams: Scammers are creating fake shops, websites, social media accounts, and email addresses claiming to sell medical supplies currently in high demand, such as surgical masks. When consumers attempt to purchase supplies through these channels, fraudsters pocket the money and never provide the promised supplies.

Check out the seller by searching online for the person or company’s name, phone number and email address, plus words like “review,” “complaint” or “scam.” If everything checks out, pay by credit card and keep a record of your transaction. If you’re concerned about the pricing of products in your area, contact your state consumer protection officials.

• Provider scams: Scammers are also contacting people by phone and email, pretending to be doctors and hospitals that have treated a friend or relative for COVID-19, and demanding payment for that treatment.

• Charity scams: Scammers are soliciting donations for individuals, groups, and areas affected by COVID-19. Some scammers use names that sound a lot like the names of real charities. This is one reason it pays to do some research before giving. Money lost to bogus charities means less donations to help those in need.

You can use

to help research legitimate charities before giving.

• Phishing scams: Scammers posing as national and global health authorities, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are sending phishing emails designed to trick recipients into downloading malware or providing personal identifying and financial information. If you click on a link, they can install ransomware or other programs that can lock you out of your data. Scammers often use familiar company names or pretend to be someone you know.

Protect your computer by keeping your software up to date and by using security software, your cell phone by setting software to update automatically, your accounts by using multi-factor authentication, and your data by backing it up.

• App scams: Scammers are also creating and manipulating mobile apps designed to track the spread of COVID-19 to insert malware that will compromise users’ devices and personal information.

• Robocall scams: Scammers are using illegal robocalls to pitch everything from scam Coronavirus treatments to work-at-home schemes.

Hang up. Don’t press any numbers. The recording might say that pressing a number will let you speak to a live operator or remove you from their call list, but it might lead to more robocalls, instead.

• Investment scams: Scammers are offering online promotions on various platforms, including social media, claiming that the products or services of publicly traded companies can prevent, detect, or cure COVID-19, and that the stock of these companies will dramatically increase in value as a result. These promotions are often styled as "research reports," make predictions of a specific "target price," and relate to microcap stocks, or low-priced stocks issued by the smallest of companies with limited publicly available information.

• Price Gouging scams: Individuals and businesses may sell essential goods, like hand sanitizer, for significantly higher prices than in a non-emergency setting. It is legally considered price gouging when the price of one of these products increases more than 20 percent its price one week prior to an emergency declaration from the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Anti-price gouging statutes are in effect because of statewide states of emergency. If you see price gouging, you should report it to Attorney General Herring’s Consumer Protection Section. You can do that by calling (800) 552-9963, emailing consumer@oag.state.va.us, or going through the online

. More info is

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• Misinformation and rumors: Scammers, and sometimes well-meaning people, share information that hasn’t been verified.

Before you pass on any messages, and certainly before you pay someone or share your personal information, do some fact checking by contacting trusted sources. For information related to the Coronavirus, visit

. There you’ll find links to federal, state and local government agencies.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) also has a breakdown of even more coronavirus-related scams

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And remember: government agencies do not communicate through social media avenues like Facebook. So, be wary of unsolicited messages. Also, do not pay any money for a "free" government grant.