FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO): Phone scams continue to be a problem, and have especially targeted people during the coronavirus pandemic.

Fort Wayne-based Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) reports phone scams have been reported across the county targeting various utility customers and companies; I&M is no exception.

Scams vary, but often work like this:

• Customers receive calls from scammers falsely identifying themselves as I&M employees.
• The caller claims the customer is late paying their bill, and their power will be disconnected if the customer does not pay immediately.
• Many scammers “spoof” the telephone number to appear as a different number. In some cases, it may appear to be an authentic I&M phone number.
• The scammers may seek account information or personal credit card and banking information from customers. Some direct customers to buy a debit card and provide the debit card number.

I&M wants to remind customers that its employees never call demanding immediate payment. During the pandemic, I&M has suspended disconnects for non-payment, though customers are still responsible for their bills and are asked to continue paying for their usage.

Anyone who receives a similar phone call to the one described above should hang up and call I&M’s Customer Operations Center at 800-311-6424.