Manning Police Chief Blair Shaffer said that local business owners who just got their power back are now receiving hoax phone calls threatening to turn it off again.
"One local store owner received a call from someone purporting to be from Duke Energy," said Shaffer. "The caller told him that he owed a certain amount of money and that he was late, and that he needed to pay it now to avoid a disruption in service."
When the business owner questioned the caller, and asked to speak to a general manager, the caller hung up.
"Our residents need to be aware of anyone calling them from any kind of business, bank or power company telling them that they're going to disconnect or stop your services if you don't pay up immediately," said Shaffer. "That's for any time, not just after a storm. They need to verify that they owe these payments before they wire any money."
Duke Energy says on its website that it does call customers to inquire about late bills, but some red flags include the caller asking to pay by a prepaid dcebit card.
"Prepaid debit cards are liek cash, and the transactions cannot be revered," the website says.
If you feel pressured for immediate payment or personal information, hang up the phone and call Duke at the number on your utility bill.
"This wil ensure that you are speaking to a real Duke Energy representative," the company states.
Duke also notes that it will never demand immediate payment about money owed without first sending a notifcation by mail, and the company will never ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.
