Don’t be fooled by phone scammers claiming to be OPPD

Scammers are making the rounds again, calling Omaha Public Power District customers and pretending to represent the utility to steal your money. We want to warn our customers not to fall for this long-running con that continues to target utility customers not only here, but all across the country. 

The callers may use spoofing technology to make their number appear as if it is local. It may even appear as a legitimate OPPD phone number. They tend to be aggressive and falsely claim customers are either overdue on their bills. We have received 53 reports so far in August from customers who received calls claiming they are “past due,” and asking them to call a number back to make a payment. 

If you receive such a call, do not pay. Hang up. Customers who have any questions about service, equipment or bill status should call us at 402-536-4131 in the Omaha calling area or 877-536-4131 outside of the Omaha area. 

Sometimes, the callers falsely tell customers they need to pay for meters or other equipment. Do not fall for this either. 

OPPD has recently been sharing information about new smart meters that we will be installing over the next several years. Sometimes scammers latch onto these headlines and use them to fit their own narratives. We want to assure customers that there are no additional charges to receive the new meters. Any costs of upgrading our meters or other equipment are worked into our annual budgets, and we would never reach out to customers directly to collect money for them for these things. 

Other scam techniques to watch out for include robocalls, sometimes even using a recording of actual utility messages to sound authentic, as well as text messages with links or QR codes. Do not call any numbers back or click on any links that are provided in such messages.  

Remember: 

• NONE of these calls or texts demanding immediate payment are from the utility. Our call center representatives would never cold-call a customer with such demands. If customers were truly overdue on their bills to the point where service could be disconnected, they would receive written notice first.  

• NEVER give personal or financial information to a stranger during an unsolicited phone call.  

• Do NOT allow entrance to such a person, without proper credentials or utility authorization, appearing unannounced at your door. 

• ALWAYS ask for identification or verification. OPPD employees and contractors always carry identification. Failure to produce identification should always be a tip-off to the customer that something is wrong. 
• Be wary of sales pitches from companies claiming to represent or work with OPPD.   

OPPD is working in partnership with other local and regional public power utilities to raise awareness of these scams among our customers, identify scammers’ trends, and get their phone numbers shut down when possible.  For this reason, it’s helpful if you report any such calls you receive to us – again, by calling 402-536-4131 in the Omaha calling area or 877-536-4131 outside of the Omaha area.