Xcel Energy Inc. on Wednesday warned customers of a national scam targeting some Minnesota utility customers to obtain Social Security numbers and bank routing numbers.
Scam artists contact victims claiming that President Obama is offering credits or applying payments to utility bills, Xcel said in a news release. Customers are told they can make a utility payment by using a bank routing number that is supplied by the scam artists.
The scam is being spread via telephone, Twitter, texting and, in some states, fliers.
Xcel said customers should only pay bills in legitimate ways, and credit card numbers and personal information should not be provided to suspicious callers.
Affected customers should call Xcel at 1-800-895-4999, and report the incident to police. If credit card information was given out, victims should contact the credit card company, Xcel said.
STAFF WRITER
