The Sheriff’s Office has been alerted by citizens who have recently received calls from individuals demanding fraudulent payment for an overdue power bill. Visit Dom.com/scams for more tips to protect against becoming a victim.

Dominion Power provided these tips in a media release:

• Dominion Virginia Power will never require payment over the phone or require payment on a pre-paid debit card.

• Dominion does not direct customers to make payment at any of their offices; designated payment centers can be found online at https://www.dom.com/residential/dominion-virginia-power/customer-service/payment-options

• If customers wish to pay their bill by phone, they are directed to BillMatrix at 1-800-573-1147. Please note: customers will never be contacted by BillMatrix requiring payment.)

• If a customer is behind on a monthly bill, they should contact Dominion to set up a mutually agreed upon payment plan. Dominion provides a customer with notifications on their bill before power is disconnected.

• If a customer is suspicious of a caller, they are encouraged to collect information from the scammer including the caller's name, any phone numbers or other details before hanging up and reporting to local law enforcement.

• Customers should always call Dominion at 1-866-DOM-HELP to verify that the company is attempting to reach them before releasing any personal information.