NRECA is getting reports from various states where co-op consumers are receiving phone calls from fraudsters posing to be from the co-op and asking the consumer to provide credit card or other financial account information and personally identifiable information over the phone. (Co-ops are not alone here, this is hitting utilities of all stripes.)

There are at least two flavors of this scam -- one is to say the consumer owes on his/her account and will have service shut-off unless payment information is provided immediately. The other appears aimed more specifically at seniors. The caller claims the consumer can receive Federal stimulus dollars to pay their utility bills or some sort of a bill credit but the consumer must first provide his/her personal information (e.g. Social Security Number and utility account number).

Some scammers are claiming to be from the Internal Revenue Service or the Social Security Administration, and say they need your information to be able to deposit your rebate directly into your account. They may ask for your checking account number, social security number, or other piece of personal information — the kind they can use to commit identity theft. The Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency, cautions consumers not to give out personal or financial information in response to an unsolicited call or email.

The IRS does not gather information for rebates by telephone. Nor does it send unsolicited e-mail to taxpayers about tax account matters. Filing a tax return is the only way to apply for a tax refund; there is no separate application form. Similarly, if you get an email out of the blue from someone claiming to be from the IRS that asks you to call a phone number or email back your personal information, don't click on any links. Forward it to phishing@irs.gov, and then delete it. Clicking on a link in an unsolicited email carries risks of spyware, pagejacking, and phishing — threats that can lead to the theft of your identity. The only official IRS Web site is located at www.irs.gov. Visit www.OnGuardOnline.gov/phishing for more information about phishing scams.

If you get a call from someone who claims to be from the SSA and who asks for your personal information, say you’re not interested, and politely hang up. Then call the SSA’s toll-free telephone number yourself, 1-800-772-1213, to verify the reason for the contact and the caller’s identity. The SSA will not send unsolicited email. For more information, visit www.ssa.gov.

If you believe you're a victim, there are state level resources through the Federal Trade Commission's identity theft site: www.ftc.gov/idtheft or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP. If you think your identity’s been stolen, visit www.ftc.gov/idtheft or call 1-877-ID-THEFT. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.

Additional information is available from the FTC's main site: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/menus/consumer/data/idt.shtm