Telephone scam in Winona County

Caller claims the co-op will seek disconnection due to overdue balance

Cresco, IA | Rushford, MN  10 a.m. June 11, 2020)— MiEnergy Cooperative has been notified of a possible scam. A member from Lewiston, Minn. contacted the cooperative yesterday about a phone call he had received regarding his electric account. The caller, who claimed to be affiliated with MiEnergy, told the member he was several months behind on his account and it was necessary to pay up due to an approaching disconnection order. The caller provided an 800 number and a claim number for payment.

Fortunately, the member was skeptical and accessed his electric account online to verify it was in good standing. He also called the cooperative for additional confirmation. Local authorities have been contacted.

If members are behind on their account, as some may find themselves in due to the pandemic, they will receive notification by mail of the amount due, the disconnection date, energy assistance information and asked to contact the cooperative about their situation. The cooperative does leave phone messages too, but members can always hang up and call MiEnergy directly to ensure the call is real.

Members with questions about their account can contact MiEnergy at 1-800-432-2285.