PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. --- Pinellas County deputies are warning the public of a Duke Energy scam.
Officials said residents are receiving a call from someone claiming to be an employee of Duke Energy.
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The scammers have programmed their call to read as Duke Energy on the victim's caller ID.
The caller informs the resident that they are past due on their electric bill and need to pay immediately.
Detectives said the caller will then instruct residents to go and purchase a gift card or re-loadable debit card from a retail store. The caller provides a call back number and explains how the victim needs to call back and provide card numbers to satisfy past due payments.
So far, five Pinellas County residents have been targeted by the scam since Veteran's Day.
They said as a reminder, most scam phone callers will ask for the resident to obtain gift cards to call back with.
If anyone has been a victim of the scam, or a similar one, you are asked to call the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.
