TAMPA, Fla. — Heads up, TECO customers. A recent letter claiming to be from the electric company is a scam.
Tampa Electric put out a notice on Friday warning customers not to respond to a suspicious letter posing as a pitch for a no-cost solar program. It features the company's logo and requests personal information, such as birth dates, phone numbers and spouses' names.
"It’s very convincing. But it’s not from Tampa Electric," the company wrote. "Tampa Electric’s legal team is taking appropriate action against these scammers. But customers may continue to receive these letters, and the company doesn’t want anyone to be fooled."
According to TECO, this scam takes "tricks to a new level." The company said that in the past, scammers have called customers asking for money and threatening to disconnect power.
"This time, they aren’t asking for money, but they are requesting personal information, such as birth dates and phone numbers," TECO wrote.
Tampa Electric is reminding customers that:
- it never asks for spouses' names or birthdates,
- it does not have a partnership with any solar companies,
- it never calls to ask for credit or debit card numbers and
- customers can always request to see a Tampa Electric team member's ID badge.
If you aren't sure about a bill or letter you receive from Tampa Electric, you can always view your account through the company's online portal.
Customers also always have the option of calling to verify any information at:
- 813-223-0800 for Hillsborough County
- 863-299-0800 for Polk County
- 1-888-223-0800 for all other areas.