Duke Energy spokesman describes 'challenge' of protecting against ever-changing scam attempts

CLARKSVILLE, Ind. (WDRB) -- Duke Energy is expanding it's scam awareness campaign as it kicks off it's fourth annual Utility Scam Awareness Week.

Duke said more than 880 of its customers have reported scam attempts since it first began tracking the information in summer 2015.

"It's a challenge to stay ahead of them," Duke Energy Spokesman Lew Middleton said. "Just when you think you have all their tricks figured out, they come up with a new one."

A founding member of the Utilities United Against Scams, Duke said customers have lost around $27,000 over the past four years as a result of scams.

"There are two types of scam calls that they need to be aware of: No. 1, a scammer demanding immediate payment on your account," Middleton said. "The second way to identify a scammer is if the scammer instructs you to go to a retail outlet to by a prepaid debit card. Duke will never do those things."

Over the course of the past four years, Duke said the percent of those customers who reported scams and also fell for them went from about 10% to about 6%.