ATTENTION CUSTOMERS: Be aware of a scam that has impacted other utility customers in several states across the country. The scam claims that President Barack Obama is providing credits or applying payments to bills. In some cases, scammers have asked for Social Security numbers in order to allow for credits or to apply payments to customers' bills, presenting a risk of identity theft. According to reports, scammers have visited customers in person, posted fliers and used social media and texting to send messages claiming that President Obama will provide a credit or directly pay utility bills.
The scam calls for customers to make a payment by using a bank routing number supplied by the scammers and the number appearing on the back of their Social Security cards as the bank account number. Payments made using the scammers’ method will not process correctly and the money will not be applied to customers' bills. Customers will still owe the amount shown on their bills for the utility services they have used.
Customers who believe they are a victim of this scam can notify local police, the state attorney general's office, the Better Business Bureau or other agencies. If you believe your Piedmont Natural Gas account has been affected, call 1-800-752-7504 to speak with a customer service representative.