'You owe more than $3,000:' We Energies officials warn of scammers targeting customers

MILWAUKEE -- Officials with We Energies on Thursday, March 14 issued a warning about scammers targeting customers -- claiming that they owe thousands of dollars.

According to a news release from We Energies, Terri Driekosen was targeted by a scammer who said she owed "more than $3,000," but thankfully, she didn't fall for it. Instead, she simply hung up the phone.

Officials said Driekosen got the call Wednesday morning, March 13. They said We Energies showed up on the caller ID, and the number had a 262 area code. When Driekosen answered, a recorded voice told her to “remain on the line for an important message about your account.” The “important message” that followed wasn’t really from We Energies. It was all a scam.

Usually, the crooks claim customers are behind on their bills and face disconnection unless an immediate payment is made with a pre-paid debit card or Green Dot card.

In this case, officials said they told Driekosen she qualified for a lower interest rate on her outstanding bills -- but she knew she didn’t owe any money and hung up before they could con her.

That’s exactly what you should do too, We Energies officials said.

If you get a call that sounds suspicious, trust your gut and hang up.

We Energies officials said they will never threaten you or ask you to pay with a pre-paid card.

If you’re unsure, you're invited to call the We Energies Customer Care Center at 800-242-9137. They’ll help you verify if the call you received was a scam, check the status of your account and verify your payment history.

Officials noted in March alone, customers alerted We Energies to about 75 scam calls. Luckily, no customers fell victim.

This is a nationwide problem, We Energies officials said.

CLICK HERE to learn more about common scams.