MONROE COUNTY, Tenn. (WVLT)- The Monroe County Sheriff's Office is warning people of a scam.

Deputies say Fort Loudon Electric Cooperative members are being targeted. The scammers are calling posing as a utility employee and threatening to shut off service unless immediate payment is done using a reloadable debt card, prepaid gift card or online payment service like PayPal.

“The calls sound official,” says Jarrod Brackett, FLEC’s CEO. “This is particularly harmful to consumers because there is no way to track or recover the money.”

Officials stress that FLEC will:
• NEVER call members to request credit card, banking, or other financial information over the telephone.
• NEVER call members threatening immediate disconnection unless a payment is made.
• NEVER ask to enter your home unless you initiate the request for co-op personnel to perform a specific service. Co-ops do this only by appointment and with a member’s prior knowledge.

“We are asking co-op members to be wary of any phone calls,” Brackett says. “If in doubt, hang up immediately, and call 1-877-353-2674. Be certain you are dealing with an official representative of the cooperative.”