Alliant Energy reports record number of scam complaints in December

Record numbers of Alliant Energy customers have been reporting scam phone calls, according to a news release.

The company reports it has received on average 53 contacts per month reporting scam activity. This average is drawn from calls made between January 2016 to November 2017.

Alliant Energy reports it has received 416 reports of scam phone calls since December 1, 2017 and that 265 of these calls have come from Iowa.

According to the release, around 75 percent of complaints come from business customers and the rest are from residential customers. These customers have also reported that scammers are getting better at impersonating utilities, with some reporting instances of text message scams and face-to-face encounters, according to the release.

These scammers call customers claiming to represent Alliant Energy and threaten to disconnect utility service if the customer doesn't immediately buy a prepaid credit card to make a payment.

Although the company has recently began offering account alerts by text as an optional service, it does not request immediate payment or prepaid credit cards and does not threaten to disconnect service via text message, according to the release.

If you receive a call you suspect is a scammer, Alliant Energy advices you to:

STOP: Hang up the phone. Scammers are counting on people being too alarmed to verify their account status. Do not give in to high-pressure call tactics.

THINK: You know your account status best. Think about whether the scammer's claim about your account sounds true.

CALL: Call Alliant Energy at 1-800-ALLIANT to verify your actual account status. If you have a remaining balance, the company can tell you the amount and when it is due.

According to the release, customers should also beware that scammers can spoof caller-ID displays, which means they can mask the call's true origin and make it appear as if it the call is coming from a utility company.

Customers should report attempted scam contacts to local law enforcement.