By Bonnie Culverhouse

It’s cold outside and it’s time to pay your utility bills. What a great time for a scam artist to frighten people into paying them money to “ensure your power isn’t disconnected.”

Minden resident and financial businessman Tracy Campbell said he has conducted seminars on recognizing scams, so he knew exactly what to do when one of the businesses he is connected with was contacted last week.

“I contacted Police Chief Jared McIver,” Campbell said. “I just told him there is a scam going around where a ‘technician’ from Entergy calls a business and says ‘I’ve been instructed to disconnect service at your location due to non payment.’ They then provide a phone number to call to make said payment.”

Campbell said the technician says if payment isn’t made in 45 minutes to an hour, the disconnect will happen.  

“The technician says he is just calling as a courtesy because he hates to see anyone get disconnected,” Cambell said. “We knew it was a scam because we are on autopay and City of Minden electricity. A Google search supported that it’s a scam. When I called the chief, he said a similar scam is going around using ‘Centerpoint Entergy.’”

Campbell advises anyone who gets a call and is unsure if it’s a scam to go directly to the source. 

“Use the number on the bill to call and verify,” he said. “Don’t be pressured into calling an unknown number and giving out your debit or credit card number.”

McIver said the City of Minden has been made aware of fraudulent phone calls to citizens stating that immediate payment for utilities is necessary over the phone. 

The City of Minden notes it will NEVER ask for credit card information over the phone. If you receive one of these calls, please contact the Minden Police Department at 371-4226.