Power Bill Phone Scam Attempted in Ashburn: Police

ASHBURN, VA — This a textbook example of what residents should do if they're called by a so-called Dominion Power representative and told their power is about to be cut off unless some form of immediate payment is made.

A resident in the 21000 block of Hansberry Terrace received just such a call Wednesday, this one showing up as from 800-866-4709. The resident asked to speak to the caller's supervisor but was told the supervisor was in a meeting.

The resident then hung up and contacted Dominion Power directly to report the scam that's been making the rounds of late.

Dominion Power has a list of customer tips for such incidents:

• Dominion Virginia Power will never require payment over the phone or require payment on a pre-paid debit card.
• Dominion does not direct customers to make payment at any of their offices; designated payment centers can be found online.
• If customers wish to pay their bill by phone, they are directed to BillMatrix at 1-800-573-1147. Please note: customers will never be contacted by BillMatrix requiring payment.)
• If a customer is behind on a monthly bill, they should contact Dominion to set up a mutually agreed upon payment plan. Dominion provides a customer with notifications on their bill before power is disconnected.
• If a customer is suspicious of a caller, they are encouraged to collect information from the scammer including the caller's name, any phone numbers or other details before hanging up and reporting to local law enforcement.
• Customers should always call Dominion at 1-866-DOM-HELP to verify that the company is attempting to reach them before releasing any personal information.

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