Scam Alert. Signs of a scam

Transcription

1 Co-opConnection President and CEO E. LeRoy Toy Nettles Jr. Chairman, Board of Trustees James A. Goodson Trustees Jule Conner Preston Gainey, Vice-Chairman David Howell Louise Kelley, Secretary/Treasurer Hamer Parnell W. F. Rogers LaShon Sellers Don Teal Pat Thomas-Toney, Chaplain Lee C. White Office Hours 8 a.m. 5 p.m. Monday Friday Corporate Headquarters 1355 East McIver Road PO Box 491 Darlington, SC District Office 1811 North 501 Bypass Marion, SC Report Power Outage (843) Toll-Free (866) Website PeeDeeElectric.com Co-op News Editor Tom Kinard Pee Dee Electric Cooperative is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Scam Alert They re still trying to steal your money beware of phone calls from people claiming to be from Pee Dee Electric Cooperative and demanding payment. Telephone scammers are targeting members of electric cooperatives across the country. A caller claims to represent the co-op. The caller states the member s account will be disconnected for non-payment within a short period of time unless payment is made immediately. The scammer demands a credit card number. In some cases, the crook will instruct the member to purchase a prepaid debit card and call back with the card number. Some calls may seem legitimate because the scammers use Caller ID Spoofing to make the targeted member s caller ID falsely read the cooperative s name and number. The latest trick these people are trying is to ask the member to meet Signs of a scam There have also been people in the Pee Dee harassed by callers telling them they are from the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) and demanding payment of back taxes. The following information is from the IRS.gov website: The IRS respects taxpayer rights when working out payment of your taxes. So, it s pretty easy to tell when a supposed IRS caller is a fake. Here are five things the scammers often do, but the IRS will not do. Any one of these five things is a sign of a scam. The IRS does not: 1. Call you to demand immediate payment. We will not call about taxes you owe without first mailing you a bill. 2. Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the chance to question or appeal the amount they say you owe. 3. Require you to use a certain payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card. them at a certain location and pay cash to keep power coming to their home. DO NOT fall for this scam in any way, shape or form! PDEC will not call and demand immediate payment over the phone via a debit or credit card. If you are unsure the caller is associated with Pee Dee Electric, hang up and immediately call our office at (866) or (843) We also suggest you call law enforcement. E. LeRoy Toy Nettles Jr. President and Chief Executive Officer 4. Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone. 5. Threaten to bring in local police or other law enforcement to have you arrested for not paying. If you get a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS and asking for money, here s what to do: If you know you owe taxes or think you might owe, call the IRS at (800) to talk about payment options. You also may be able to set up a payment plan online at IRS.gov. If you know you don t owe taxes or have no reason to believe that you do, report the incident to TIGTA at 1 (800) or at tigta.gov. If phone scammers target you, also contact the Federal Trade Commission at FTC.gov. Use their FTC Complaint Assistant to report the scam. Please add IRS Telephone Scam to the comments of your complaint. FILe 4 SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING february 2015 SCLIVING.COOp

2 News WASHINGTON YOUTH TOUR page CHeSTNUT JUNE 13 18, 2015 Pee Dee Electric delegates will join more than 1,500 rising high school seniors from co-ops across the country in discovering Washington, D.C., during a funfilled, educational week. This June, VAN O CAIN Don t miss out! Download the application at PeeDeeElectric.com. Deadline is March 13, EXPLORE historic monuments, memorials and museums VAN O CAIN MEET South Carolina Senators and Representatives LEARN about electric cooperatives role in the national economy GAIN knowledge of American government and democracy Santa s Toy Can Turn Into An Energy Hog! There were many children in the Pee Dee Electric service area who received video games as presents last December. Here s an energy-efficiency warning: Play All You Want, But Turn em Off When You re Done! Leaving a video game console in the perpetual on state can add more than $100 to your annual electric bill. According to Electric Co-op Today, a nationally published trade Today paper, video game consoles in America consume as much electricity every year as all the homes in Charlotte, N.C., and Atlanta, GA. The Sony Playstation and Microsoft Xbox use 150 watts and 119 watts, respectively. These two systems can each consume more than 1,000 kilowatt-hours per year if left on all the time. That s equal to the annual energy use of TWO new refrigerators. Remember, when you finish playing Turn em Off! SCLIVING.COOp february 2015 SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING 5

3 Co-op News EXTRA Jeff Singletary TOm KINARd PDEC E ENERGy EXPERT & VP MARkETING believe it or not, we re past the worst of winter weather. Oh, it will still be cold, and we ll have a chance of snow and dreaded ice for a few weeks, yet, but each passing day brings us closer to spring! There is something you can do now that will help save money through the end of winter, into spring and summer and fall and on and on. It s simple, easy and very affordable. Caulking. If you have single-pane windows, there s a good chance you can feel the cold air entering your home. Caulk the windows and add weather-stripping to the top and bottom of each window and outside door. Caulking is easy to do. With a little practice, you ll be able to lay down a beautiful, money-saving bead of caulk quickly and simply. You ll start saving money on your energy bill immediately. In the winter and fall, caulk keeps the cold air out, and in the spring and summer, it keeps the conditioned air in your home. Don t be alarmed at the selection of caulk available. Just look for one that says it s for windows and doors. If you re planning on painting over the caulk, make sure the label says it s paintable. Old Refrigerators Eat Energy and Money Does This sound familiar? You bought a new refrigerator and moved your old fridge to the garage to keep a few drinks and some surplus food items cold. Here s an idea from Pee Dee Electric Cooperative that can help you save energy and money. Old refrigerators, especially those bought before 1993, use more than twice as much electricity as new Energy Star-qualified models. What s more, the refrigerants in these older appliances weaken over time, and door seals start to leak, causing a decline in the performance. If you have moved your old refrigerator to an uninsulated location, such as a garage or storage room, it will use even more energy during hot weather. A fridge in a 90-degree environment, for example, uses nearly 50 percent more power than one in a 70-degree environment. And if the temperature falls below about 40 degrees in NReCA winter, the refrigerator s thermostat may not run its cooling and defrost cycles for the appropriate amount of time. By pulling the plug on that old refrigerator, you can save about $146 a year. Again, you can save $146 a year! For other tips on how to save energy and money visit PeeDeeElectric.com. Statement of Nondiscrimination NReCA Pee Dee Electric Cooperative, Inc. is an equal opportunity provider and employer. If you wish to file a Civil Rights program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, found online at or at any USDA office, or call (866) to request the form. You may also write a letter containing all of the information requested in the form. Send your completed complaint form or letter to us by mail at U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave.,, S.W., Washington, D.C , by fax (202) or at program.intake@usda.gov. SCLIVING.COOp february 2015 SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING 16A

4 Kiosks Make Payments Easier pdec has conveniently installed two brand-new kiosks; one in the Piggly Wiggly in Hartsville and one in the Piggly Wiggly in Darlington. You can easily make payments with debit/credit cards, electronic checks or cash, with NO fees. Just have your account information handy, and you re ready to go! Darlington Easy-to-Follow, on-screen instructions Hartsville RObbIe HOwLe Rather Use An Electronic Device? Power Outage? Please Call Call if you need us. We re here 24/7. Finance energy-saving home improvements with a lowinterest, fixed-rate ERC loan. PeeDeeElectric.com pee Dee electric is now using SmartHub, a new and improved payment and account management system. To create your SmartHub profile, visit PeeDeeElectric.com and click the MySmartHub button, or download the free SmartHub app for your Apple or Android device. Jeff s On The Air! with Ken Ard 1st Wednesday each month 8:30 am 16B SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING february 2015 SCLIVING.COOp

5 Winter Storm Tips as we were reminded at this time last year, snow and ice storms are an inevitable part of the winter season. Although the pure, white snow and glistening ice can be pretty to look at, it can lead to downed power lines and widespread outages. Remember these suggestions for staying safe and warm in the event of a winter storm: f Never touch a fallen power line. Assume all wires on the ground are hot charged with electricity. Call PDEC immediately toll free (866) to report downed lines. Also, avoid contact with overhead lines during cleanup. f If you need to use an alternate heating source: fireplace, kerosene space heater or wood stove, please use extreme caution. Make sure your damper is open, don t let children play near heaters, watch for sparks and always follow manufacturer s instructions. f Plan to stay in an area of the home where the alternate heat source is located. It s also a good idea to keep a fire extinguisher handy in any room where flames are present. f Make sure carbon monoxide detectors and smoke detectors are working properly. f NEVER use a charcoal or gas grill inside a house. Do not use charcoal briquettes in a fireplace. f If using a portable generator, make sure it is located outside the home for proper ventilation. Do not use in an attached garage, and follow manufacturer s operating instructions. f NEVER connect generators to power lines. The reverse flow of electricity can fatally injure an unsuspecting PDEC or other utility worker. f Keep an eye on family members for signs of hypothermia: shivering, drowsiness and mental and physical slowness. The elderly and young children are particularly vulnerable. Call 911 immediately if you notice symptoms. TOm KINARd Use Energy Wisely weather extremely cold or hot is a key driver of energy bills. On average, your HVAC accounts for 50 percent of your monthly bill. This time of year, the colder it gets, the harder and longer heating systems must run and the more energy they use. Also, water flowing into your water heater is naturally colder, meaning your water heater uses more electricity to heat the water and keep it hot. Here are a few things you can do to use power efficiently in the winter: f Set thermostats no higher than 68 degrees f Properly maintain heating units f Change filters regularly f Set water heater no higher than 120 degrees f Many more money-saving ideas are in the booklet 101 Low-Cost/No-Cost Home Energy-Saving Measures. Download your free copy from PeeDeeElectric.com. Contact Marketing to learn about all the Pee Dee Electric programs designed to save you money each month. Call (843) or toll-free (866) TOm KINARd FILe SCLIVING.COOp february 2015 SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING 16C

6 Take care of your fridge... and chill out your energy bill! Set the refrigerator temperature to F and freezer temperature to 0-5 F Electricity is more valuable than ever. Don t waste it.... Pee Dee Electric Cooperative is committed to work with integrity and innovation to provide you with reliable power at the best possible price.... Ensure gaskets around the door seal tightly and clean refrigerator coils annually. Switch your refrigerator s powersaver to ON, if available. Unplug unused refrigerators and freezers. Visit for more energy saving tips Toll Free 16D SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING february 2015 SCLIVING.COOp