There have been several recent incidents where Alabama Power customers have been approached by people pretending to be company employees in Selma and Dallas County.

The customers are phoned and told they have a short deadline, perhaps 30 minutes, to make payment or are threatened that their service will be disconnected.

The scammer will tell victims to provide a credit card number over the phone or to go to a local retailer (such as Wal-Mart, CVS or Walgreens) to purchase a prepaid money card and to provide that account number. In some cases, the call back number is an answering machine that says “This is Alabama Power,” and tells the customer to leave the information on a recording.

Alabama Power customers should be aware that:

* Scams arise from time to time and can be directed toward commercial or residential customers.

* Most scams are “hit and run,” moving to other parts of the country to avoid being caught. This particular scam is different in that it involves a person or persons claiming to be an Alabama Power employee and interacting in-person with victims.

This scam has also persisted for longer than most. To avoid being scammed, Alabama Power customers should remember:

* An employee will never come to your door and demand an immediate payment. No employee will ever call and ask you for bank information or a credit card number.

* No Alabama Power employee will collect money in exchange for forgiving an outstanding portion of the utility bill.

Any Alabama Power employee who comes to your door for any reason will have company identification that he or she will gladly show. If you have any questions about whether a person works for Alabama Power, call 1-800-245-2244 and do not let the employee inside your home until you receive proper verification.

Scammers sometimes claim they represent a public agency or government office offering grants that can pay your Alabama Power or other utility bill. Never provide anyone making this claim your credit card information, your Alabama Power Company bill information or account number, or any personal banking information. If someone makes this claim, call Alabama Power or your local police department to report it. Customers who have any questions about the status of their Alabama Power account should call the company. Alabama Power Customer Service is available day or night, seven days a week, at 1-800-245-2244