Roundup Record Tribune & Winnett Times -

NorthWestern Energy’s 1,530 employees are members of the communities we serve. Our customers are our neighbors, friends and family members.

National Night Out is a nationwide community-building event held on the first Tuesday of August, that promotes police-community partnerships. The best way to build a safer community is to know your neighbors.

Which is why NorthWestern Energy reminds our customers and neighbors that our employees will never threaten, surprise or demand payment in the form of a prepaid debit card.

“In June, NorthWestern Energy Customer Service Representatives processed more than 400 scam forms from customers reporting potential scam activity. June was the highest scam activity month we’ve experienced,” said NorthWestern Energy Manager of Customer Interactions Tricia Davis. “NorthWestern Energy is a member of Utilities United Against Scams, a consortium of more than 140 U.S. and Canadian utilities working together to help spread scam awareness and educate customers about scamming tactics used to target customers.”

Scamming tactics have changed over the last year. Rather than using 800 numbers to scam customers, scammers are now using local numbers, personal emails, texting and have been known to go door to door to scam customers.

“If you are contacted by someone demanding immediate payment and threatening to shut off your utility service if immediate payment is not made, ask yourself ‘would someone from my service company, from NorthWestern Energy, communicate this way?’,” Davis said. “If you have any doubt that you are speaking with one of NorthWestern Energy’s 1,530 employees who live and work in the communities we serve, trust yourself and hang up, delete the email or shut the door and call NorthWestern Energy.”

Remember:

• NorthWestern Energy sends multiple disconnection notices before shutting off service and offers several bill payment options. We never demand prepaid cards.

• If we need to upgrade or replace a piece of equipment, NorthWestern will contact you ahead of time. If NorthWestern Energy needs to upgrade or replace a meter, the cost of the new meter is not charged to the individual customer.

• Any over payments will be applied to your NorthWestern Energy account and used to cover future charges. When we refund a customer, we do so by mailing a check to the address on file.

• In several recent scamming attempts, scammers requested customers download the Zelle or Venmo apps to process their payments. NorthWestern Energy does not accept payment through either of these apps.

• Scammers are calling from local numbers and being aggressive – if the customer hangs up on them, they call back multiple times.

• If you’re contacted by a scammer hang up and don’t answer if they call back.

• Customers who are not sure if a notice they receive is legitimate should call NorthWestern Energy at 888-467-2669.

• You can also report a scam and learn more at NorthWesternEnergy.com/scams.

Learn more about National Night Out at natw.org.

Follow us on Facebook or on Twitter (@NWEinfo).

About NorthWestern Energy (Nasdaq: NWE)

NorthWestern provides electricity and / or natural gas to approximately 743,000 customers in Montana, South Dakota, and Nebraska. We have generated and distributed electricity in South Dakota and distributed natural gas in South Dakota and Nebraska since 1923 and have generated and distributed electricity and distributed natural gas in Montana since 2002. More information on NorthWestern is available on the company’s website at http://www.northwesternenergy.com.