SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Scammers impersonating NorthWestern Energy representatives have targeted customers in South Dakota, Nebraska, and Montana through calls and text messages, attempting to steal money by threatening immediate service disconnection.
The scammers use the company’s logo in text and other electronic messages and mimic NorthWestern Energy’s phone greeting.
The company reports that the scammers demand a payment within an hour to avoid service shut off.
NorthWestern Energy warns customers that they will never demand immediate payment or a specific payment type, such as a prepaid card or at kiosk machines that accept cash payments, such as bitcoin ATMs. NorthWestern Energy also does not use QR codes to request or process payments. Customers receive multiple disconnection notices before service is shut off and are offered several bill payment options.
For more information on how to avoid being the victim of a scam, or to report a scam, go to NorthWesternEnergy.com/ScamAlert. Montana customers can call 888-467-2669, and Nebraska and South Dakota customers can call 800-245-6977.
