STATELINE, Nev. —Scammers posing as NV Energy employees are targeting northern Nevada customers, the company said Thursday.

“NV Energy has seen an uptick in utility scams this month,” said a press release. “The scammer will call a customer and falsely identify themselves as an employee of NV Energy then make deceptive threats about their electric service and demand immediate payment.”

Scammers are seeking payment through Zelle and the phone number has also been made to look like it’s coming from NV Energy.

The Las Vegas-based company said it does not call customers to demand immediate payment for any reason. Customers who may be at risk of having their power disconnected because of nonpayment will receive a 10-day notice on their bill and 48-hour notice via the U.S. Mail. NV Energy does not accept payments via Zelle, Venmo, MoneyPak or Bitcoin, and never asks for payment through a QR or barcode. The company will also never ask for credit card information over the phone.

If customers receive a call asking for an immediate payment, they should refuse and report the scam via nvenergy.com/scams and check their account at nvenergy.com/myaccount. They can also reach out to NV Energy if they have questions.

It is also important to note that NV Energy performs Home Energy Assessments and Smart Thermostat installations by appointment only. An NV Energy representative will never show up to a home offering an unscheduled service. For other services, a technician may knock on your door to alert you of his/her presence before making repairs or installing equipment but will not need to enter your home. 

In addition, NV Energy requires field employees and contractors to wear identification badges at all times. Anyone claiming to be a NV Energy employee or contractor will be happy to present a badge and employee number when contacting customers in the field. Employees are never authorized to receive payment in the field. 

More tips and reminders on how to stay safe from scams can be found at nvenergy.com/scams.

NV Energy provides a wide range of energy services to more than 1.5 million customers throughout Nevada and a typical tourist population of more than 56 million annually.