Sheriff’s Office Issues Scam Alerts
Duke Energy – Poll Takers
The Oconee County Sheriff’s office has been made aware of a scam involving a door to door poll taker, claiming to be employed with Duke Energy. A spokesman from Duke Energy stated that they are not conducting any polls. Residents should be aware of anyone coming to their door without verifying their identity or have scheduled any visit with Duke Energy in advance.
Occasionally, Duke Energy may send employees or authorized contractors to your home to perform meter work or some other service. Please remember the following safety tips for your protection.
- If you ever question whether the person is a legitimate representative of Duke Energy, contact Duke to verify their identity and reason for the visit.
- Always ask for identification. Employees of Duke Energy Progress and Duke Energy Florida may have identification associated with their respective utilities.
- In some instances, representatives from private companies may be working in your area on behalf of Duke Energy. If they do not have an official identification card, ask for their name and the reason for their visit, and then contact Duke Energy to verify the information.
- Do not let anyone into your home unless you have verified their identity, or you have scheduled the visit through Duke Energy in advance.
- Call 911 immediately if you believe the person is an imposter.
- Duke Energy does not charge customers for tree-trimming work performed in your area that falls within our scope of work.
Oconee County Property Tax Scam
The Sheriff’s Office has also been made aware of another scam involving unpaid taxes. A text message sent to a citizen stated they owed a certain amount of money for their unpaid taxes and if they did not resolve it by sending a $100 ITunes gift card before the end of the business day, their vehicle would be repossessed. Please be aware that the Oconee County tax office will never send a text message about unpaid taxes.