Scams are not unique to I&M and have been reported across the U.S. targeting various utility customers and companies. The scams often vary, but normally work like this:
- Customers receive calls from scammers falsely identifying themselves as I&M employees.
- The caller claims the customer is late paying their bill, and their power will be disconnected if the customer does not pay immediately.
- Many scammers “spoof” the telephone number to appear as a different number. In some cases, it may appear to be an authentic I&M phone number.
- Customers are usually instructed to call a different number to arrange payment.
- The scammers may seek account information or personal credit card and banking information from customers. Some direct customers to buy a debit card and provide the debit card number.
I&M employees NEVER call customers demanding immediate payment. Nor does I&M disconnect service without prior written warning.
Anyone receiving such calls should hang up and call I&M’s Customer Operations Center at 800-3114634 to report the scam. Customers can learn the status of their bill by calling the Customer Operations Center or by using I&M’s mobile application.
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Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) is headquartered in Fort Wayne, and its 2,370 employees serve more than 597,000 customers. More than half of its generation is emission-free, including 2,278 MW of nuclear generation in Michigan, 450 MW of purchased wind generation from Indiana, 22 MW of hydro generation in both states and approximately 15 MW of large-scale solar generation in both states. The company’s generation portfolio also includes 2,600 MW of coal-fueled generation in Indiana.