Beware of Scammers
Report a Scam to NGEMC
New scams are in operation in our area frequently. Always be suspicious of callers claiming to be from any utility company.
Recent Scam Reports
January 25, 2026
TVA has reported that scam emails and messages are going around saying rolling blackouts are coming with a link to find out more. This is an effort by scammer to steal money and/or install viruses on your device. They are NOT from TVA or any other utility.
- These are going out throughout the southeast and are NOT legitimate.
- Do not click on any links in these messages.
Another reported scam has messages going out saying the recipients has high power usage and demanding payment. These are also fake. Please never click on links or give information to someone sending you a threatening message.
October 23, 2025
NGEMC has received a report of a scam involving barcodes to be used at retail stores. The member reported receiving a cold-call from someone stating that their account was overdue, and instructing them to pay by a barcode they would send at a specific store. The email the scammer sent only included a screenshot of a barcode.
While barcodes are available on the back of NGEMC bills to give members the option to pay at some local retailers, NGEMC will NEVER send you an unsolicited call demanding payment, especially in a specific form or at a third-party retailer. To protect yourself, NEVER use barcodes or QR codes sent to you by an unsolicited caller. If you receive a call from someone demanding payment, HANG UP and call NGEMC or any other established utility using published phone numbers: published phone numbers.
June 17, 2025
NGEMC has received a report of scammers taking member information by offering “discounts” or “refunds” to the member if they provide account information. We have also had reports of members being threatened with disconnection over repeated phone calls.
Please remember: NGEMC employees will not ask for your account information over an unsolicited call. We will also not direct you to make payments via specific avenues, such as by cash at a third-party retailer. Always be suspicious of threatening calls and never use barcodes, QR codes, links, or call-back phone numbers and email addresses given to you by an unsolicited caller.
Older Alerts
March 11, 2025
An NGEMC member has reported a scam in which an unsolicited caller falsely claimed to represent NGEMC’s “financial department.”
- After demanding money under the pretense of collecting for the power company, the scammer sent the victim barcodes and instructed her to pay by scanning the barcode to deposit money.
- The scam caller requested cash payments, ensuring the transaction could not be canceled through a debit or credit card institution.
Please remember that the best tool for most scammers is using pressure to make you act quickly.
- NGEMC will not call you demanding payment on an account.
- If you receive a call where you feel pressured in any way, hang up and call your utility directly at a published phone number.
- Do not use phone numbers, email addresses, barcodes, or any other contact information or payment instructions you receive on an unsolicited, threatening call.
- NGEMC will not request payment in a specific form, such as cash.
February 6, 2025
An NGEMC member recently received a visit from a tree trimming crew claiming to work with NGEMC. They said they would trim the area around her transformer for $1,800, then after the work was complete tried to say the work cost more than estimated and asked the member for $18,000. PLEASE NOTE: legitimate NGEMC crews and contractors will not solicit money from you. All trimming performed by NGEMC is part of our work plan and is not charged to individual members.
It’s important to ask for multiple quotes on any project at your home or location. If anyone approaches you at home demanding money, close and lock your door and contact the authorities.
January 16, 2025
NGEMC received a report of a scam call in which the scammer asked a recipient to provide bank account information and mentioned that a credit would appear on the recipient’s account.
Please remain vigilant and remind your friends and family to NEVER give their personal or payment information to an unsolicited caller. If you feel threatened or rushed by a caller, hang up immediately. To confirm your account status, always call NGEMC at one of our published phone numbers.
November 5, 2024
NGEMC has received reports of an attempted scam in which one of our email addresses used for sending e-bills is being spoofed. The scam message asks the recipient to “re-enter” their Apple ID password. Please note that NGEMC will NEVER ask you for your Apple ID or password.
September 11, 2024
NGEMC has been made aware of an ongoing email scam in which an email address for one of our automated notification services has been spoofed and used to send a prompt to log in to another utility in order to “avoid disconnection.” This is a common method used by bad actors to steal log-in credentials. It is best to never click links or open attachments in unexpected emails, especially threatening ones.
When logging in to an online account, whether it’s your utility account, financial institution, social media, or any other account protected by a password, it is always best to go directly to that institution’s official website on your internet browser. Avoid clicking links in emails to sign in to accounts.
June 26, 2024
NGEMC has received a report of a scam call in which the caller claimed to be from a power company and mentioned that a $50 credit would appear on the member’s account if the member would give banking information over the phone.
Please remain vigilant and remind your friends and family to NEVER give their personal or payment information to an unsolicited caller. If you feel threatened or rushed by a caller, hang up immediately. To confirm your account status, always call NGEMC at one of our published phone numbers.
May 16, 2024
NGEMC has received several reports of scam calls in our area. Scammers claim to be from NGEMC and threaten to disconnect for nonpayment.
Please remember that scammers rely on fear to get you to make hasty decisions. NGEMC will NEVER call you demanding payment. If you believe anything is off or wrong about a call, HANG UP IMMEDIATELY and call your utility back at a published phone number.
March 7, 2024
Utilities United Against Scams has issued a warning about new, advanced digital tactics scammers are using to build replicas of utility payment websites, aimed at stealing payment information and log in credentials.
Ongoing Scam
NGEMC continues to receive periodic reports of a caller claiming to be with the utility and threatening to disconnect power unless the call recipient pays them within 30 minutes. The call comes from various 800 numbers that cannot be traced to a legitimate business. Please exercise great caution if you receive a similar call. NEVER give out your personal information to these callers. When you have doubts or feel threatened by a call, always hang up and call NGEMC at one of our published phone numbers.
January 12, 2024
NGEMC just received word of an imposter in the Calhoun area going door-to-door claiming to be an NGEMC employee. This individual told the member that they had high usage and claimed to be able to put the member on an NGEMC program. The scammer had a portable card reader with them. Please note that NGEMC crew leaders, line workers, or other employees WILL NOT go door-to-door asking for payment or ask to enter your home during an unscheduled visit.
If you are concerned about the validity of a visitor to your home, close and lock your door immediately. You can verify the identity of anyone claiming to be from NGEMC by calling one of our published phone numbers. If you feel your safety is at risk, you should contact the authorities immediately.
September 19, 2023
An NGEMC member has reported receiving a text from an unknown number stating they owed a certain amount of money. The text included a link to pay to avoid disconnection. Legitimate text messages from NGEMC do not include links. Please NEVER click on a link in a text message you do not expect or from unknown senders. If you have a question about your account we recommend calling NGEMC directly at one of our published phone numbers.
August 24, 2023
NGEMC has received several reports of scam callers active in our area. In some cases, the scammers have provided a disconnect code or work order number to the member in an attempt to make the call seem legitimate. Scammers have demanded that members pay immediately to avoid disconnection.
Please remember that scammers rely on fear to get you to make hasty decisions. NGEMC will NEVER call you demanding payment. If you believe anything is off or wrong about a call, HANG UP IMMEDIATELY and call your utility back at a published phone number.
June 6, 2023
An NGEMC member has reported a new active scam. An unsolicited caller demanded money and sent the member a barcode to take to a third-party store and scan to pay and phony charge. The caller had used a program to make the caller ID display NGEMC’s name and phone number.
It is important to note that the barcode looked similar and used the same retailers as the barcodes issued as a part of NGEMC’s Checkout program. However, NGEMC will never call you asking for payment or send you a barcode to use to pay a bill. Remember, if you don’t make the call, don’t give your personal information away, even if your caller ID says the call is coming from NGEMC or another utility.
Members who prefer to use the Checkout option to pay their bill at local retailers may continue to do so securely by only using the barcode printed on the back of their NGEMC bill or by visiting the Checkout website directly to download the barcode to their phone.
December 15, 2022
NGEMC has received word of a two imposters in the Dalton area going door-to-door and claiming to be NGEMC employees. These particular men were last seen driving a white Toyota 4-Runner. Please note that NGEMC Crew Leaders, Line Workers, or other employees will not ask to enter your home for any reason.
If you are concerned about the validity of any visitor to your home, close and lock your door immediately. You can verify the identity of anyone claiming to be from NGEMC by calling one of our published phone numbers. If you feel your safety is at risk, you should contact the authorities immediately.
Demanding payment or threatening you with disconnection. NGEMC has received several reports of scammers at work in our area over the last several weeks.
Recognizing and Responding to Scammers
What to remember if you receive a threatening call.
- NEVER supply a credit card number, account numbers, or other personal information to an unsolicited caller.
- The more threatening the caller the more likely it is that the call is a scam, especially those who threaten you with “immediate disconnection.”
- Do not assume the name and number on your caller ID are legitimate. Caller IDs can be spoofed.
- NGEMC utility workers and contractors DO NOT visit properties to disconnect power. Disconnects and reconnects occur remotely.
- DO NOT CALL BACK a number supplied by an unsolicited caller. Always use only published phone numbers for any utility company.
- Anyone can record an audio greeting and use it for their own purposes.
- NGEMC does not call customers asking for payment.
- NGEMC does not accept PayPal and will not ask you to load money onto any kind of prepaid gift card (i.e. Greendot).
- NGEMC does not have a 1-800 phone number.
The best protection against phone scammers is to verify everything and not jump into action. If you receive a phone call and the caller is asking you to give him/her information or take immediate action of some sort, the best course of action is to hang up. Then call the utility using a published telephone number and notify them of what occurred so they can help warn others.
At the end of the day, the threat of losing money or your personal information to scammers is always more serious and has longer lasting impacts than the inconvenience of having your power temporarily disconnected. Do not be pushed into acting hastily by a caller trying to play on your fears.
What to remember if you receive a threatening email.
Always doubt the authenticity of unsolicited emails you receive from someone claiming to be from NGEMC. Never open attachments or click links included in an email you are not expecting. The below list contains a few rules of thumb that you can follow with every email you receive in order to help keep your personal information safe online.
- Never disclose account, credit card, or other personal information in an unsolicited email.
- Always carefully check the email address the email was sent from.
- Many scammers and hackers can send a convincing email from an address that looks very similar to a legitimate address (ex. and email ending in “@ngaemc.com”).
- Do not click links or open attachments in an email you were not expecting.
- Do not be alarmed into acting quickly.
- Many scammers claim there will be serious consequences if you do not respond within a very limited time frame (ex. “Your account has been compromised and will be closed if you do not log in at this link in the next 24 hours.”) This tactic is widely used by scammers hoping to collect your account login information (especially from online banking and other financial services) by taking you to a seemingly legitimate “log-in” page linked from the email. They may also direct you to open an attachment you were not expecting (“Please see the attached invoice” for something you never ordered is a popular tactic) in order to download and install malware on your computer.
- Look for obvious misspellings or poor grammar.
- Pay attention to the size and quality of any logos in the email.
- Logos that are extremely large or extremely small, or low quality photos and logos, can indicate that they were copied and pasted to make a scam email appear more legitimate.
- Learn more at staysafeonline.org
If you receive what you believe to be a fraudulent email from NGEMC, please do not hesitate to contact us using one of our published phone numbers in the footer below.
What to remember if someone knocks on your door claiming to be from NGEMC.
In the past, NGEMC employees often visited homes of members in order to read the meters. Today, your electric meter communicates with the office directly, eliminating the need for frequent visits to the home to read meters. However, if crews are working in the area and an interruption to your service is possible, an NGEMC employee or contractor may visit your home to inform you of this maintenance.
Employees do not visit homes to disconnect for non-payment or collect payment and do not enter the home of a member without an appointment from Energy Services for a home energy evaluation (these appointments are set by the member, and a name and contact information for the NGEMC Energy Advisor will be provided at the time the appointment is scheduled.)
You can identify NGEMC employees in the following ways:
- NGEMC Employees should ALWAYS be in uniform
- NGEMC Employees should ALWAYS have an ID on hand
- NGEMC Employees should ALWAYS be in a marked vehicle (white vehicle, strobe lights, NGEMC logo)
- NGEMC Employees should NEVER ask to enter your home
Please do not hesitate to contact NGEMC regarding the legitimacy of visitors to your home by contacting us at one of our listed phone numbers.