Scammers posing as MEA are threatening Mat-Su members with shutoffs

Members of Matanuska Electric Association who get a scam call demanding immediate payment to keep their electricity on should hang up and call the cooperative at 907-761-9300. MEA issued that instruction Sept. 10 after several members reported calls from people claiming to represent the utility and threatening disconnection.

Some callers knew the member's account number and address, according to MEA's alert. Callers directed members to pay by calling 866-331-8881. That number "is NOT associated with MEA," the cooperative said.

MEA warned that caller ID can be spoofed to make a call appear to come from a local or legitimate number. The cooperative told members not to give out personal, account or payment information, and not to pay through any number a caller supplies.

It's not clear how callers got account details. "At this time, there is no evidence of a data breach involving MEA systems," MEA said.

The alert follows an August member email reporting an increase in electric-bill scam calls, in which MEA said it "will never ask for payment information over the phone." Earlier MEA guidance says the cooperative does not threaten immediate disconnection; members first get bills, disconnect notices and phone calls.

Federal Trade Commission guidance describes the same pattern. "Utility companies don't demand banking information by email or phone. And they won't force you to pay by phone as your only option," the agency said in a 2020 consumer alert. The FTC advises people to call the number on their bill instead.

MEA's alert doesn't say how many members were called, how many paid, or how much money was lost.