Apparent Phone Scam Targets MECO Customers

Maui Electric Company offices in Kahului. Photo by Wendy Osher.

By Wendy Osher

Officials at Maui Electric Company issued a warning to electric customers about an apparent telephone scam.

Customers have reported receiving telephone calls saying their electric bill is delinquent and subject to disconnection.

Company officials say these customers were told to make payments at certain retail stores using specific debit card services, and then provide the caller with a confirmation number which grants the scammer access to the customer’s funds.

MECO reminds customers not to provide personal, confidential, or financial information to any unidentified individual.

Any suspicious activity should be reported to the company or local police.

On Maui, customers can pay their electric bills in person at 210 West Kamehameha Avenue in Kahului. On Molokai, customers can pay their bill at 32A Ulili Street every Tuesday between the hours of 8 a.m. and 12 p.m.

Official walk-in payments may also be made at the following locations:

Maui:

• First Hawaiian Bank
• Foodland
• Sack n’ Save
• Times Supermarket
• Walmart
• Kmart
• Safeway

Molokai:

• Molokai Federal Credit Union

Lanai:

• First Hawaiian Bank

In light of the recent reports, MECO officials provided some safety tips to help protect customer privacy and personal information:

• Be careful when taking calls from an unidentified phone number; phone scammers will want to remain anonymous.
• Don’t be afraid to ask questions; get a name, phone number and company name to deter any leading questions.
• MECO employees would not direct you to make a payment at any other location than their customer service offices and those sites noted above.

Questions or concerns can be directed to the MECO Customer Service Department at (808) 871-9777 or toll free at 1-877-871-8461 from Molokai or Lanai.