MECO Cautions Public of Phone Scam

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

By Wendy Osher

Maui Electric Company has issued an advisory warning the public about a telephone scam that aims to illegally obtain home-ownership information from electric customers.

MECO officials say they have received reports that customers are receiving “public announcement” telephone calls, commenting on electric bills.  During the calls, customers are prompted to divulge information.

“It’s important for electric utility customers on Maui, Molokai and Lanai to know that these calls are not coming from MECO,” company officials said in a statement today.

MECO reminds customers not to provide personal, confidential, or financial information to any unidentified individual. and urges customers to be cautious when responding to phone calls.  Suspicious activity should be reported directly to the company or local police.

MECO has provided the following safety tips:

• 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 their name, phone number and company name to deter any leading questions.
• If you have any questions or concerns, please call the MECO Customer Service Department at 871-9777 or toll free at 1-877-871-8461 from Molokai and Lanai.