If you receive a phone call or email demanding that you pay a certain amount or your utility service will be cut off, it’s a scam. Hang up or delete the email.

If someone purporting to represent OUC comes to your home and makes a similar request, that’s a scam, too. Close the door and call police.

Utility Scam Awareness Week (Nov. 16-20) provides a dedicated occasion to remind our customers that they’re common targets of fraud. Most often, the scam is conducted by phone, with your caller ID “spoofed,” or tricked, to show OUC is calling. The caller warns that your utility bill is past due and if you don’t make immediate payment your power will be disconnected. Maybe the caller will ask for a credit card number, Social Security number or your banking information, or suggest you purchase a prepaid debit card and call back with receipt and PIN numbers, resulting in a money transfer.

Scammers do the same things using official-looking emails.

Regardless of the methods, they’re all scams.

Like most utility companies, OUC — The Reliable One doesn’t threaten disconnection of services unless a customer makes immediate payment. OUC NEVER makes such demands. Before an OUC customer is disconnected for non-payment, they receive a letter notifying them that they are behind on their utility bill payments. If we call a customer, it’s before disconnection and we do not require the customer to use a prepaid credit card.

OUC also never sends employees to customers’ homes to collect payment or warn them of disconnection.

OUC employees working in the community are easily identified by the OUC-marked vehicles they drive and their apparel displaying an OUC logo.. All employees also wear ID badges on their clothing.

Customers who suspect they’ve been the targets of utility scams should contact OUC at customerservice@ouc.com or 407-423-9018 and notify their local law enforcement agency. Victims of these scams also can file a complaint with the Florida Attorney General’s Office at MyFloridaLegal.com or by calling 1(866) 9NO-SCAM.

Ways to Pay Your OUC Bill

Customers can pay by phone 407-423-9018 any time of day using the OUC account number listed on the back of their bill, pay online at OUC.com, or pay in person at an OUC authorized location.

 Here are some tips for guarding against scams:

  • Beware of “spoofing,” or fake caller IDs.
  • Do not disclose personal information, Social Security number, credit card number or banking information to callers or emailed notices threatening to disconnect your power lest you make immediate payment.
  • Do not click on links in text messages or emails or reply to voice mails that warn you’re about to lose utility services if you don’t make immediate payment.
  • Do not wire money to anyone claiming to represent OUC. We don’t accept payment via wire transfer.