PEABODY — Peabody Municipal Light Plant is warning its customers to be on the alert about a scam that dupes customers into making a direct payment or risk having their electric service turned off immediately due to a delinquent account.

“Obviously, we don’t want people to be scammed and it is so frustrating,” PMLP Director of Human Resources and Community Relations John Maihos said. “It’s important for everyone to be aware of potential scammers.  “We share tips with our senior citizens because they’re usually the target of scammers. The tips should be top of mind for people of all ages though. If anyone calls representing themselves as a utility employee and then asks for payment in a questionable way like gift cards and even bitcoin, people should just hang up and call PMLP directly. Don’t call the scammer back, call PMLP. If there is an issue with service, we’ll know it.”

In a Facebook post, PMLP a PMLP ratepayer who was recently “scammed into giving some unknown scammer gift cards to keep her lights on.” The woman reported the scammer told her that “the trucks were rolling to shut her power,” despite the fact that the woman’s account was current and not overdue.

“As you might imagine, the call was completely false,” PMLP said in the post. “Still, the $300 she forked over in gift cards were not fake. These scammers do real harm to real people.”

The post went on to state that scammers are “getting smarter and more convincing” and advised people to warn their friends and neighbors, “especially ones you might think be duped into this kind of scam, that this is not the way PMLP operates.”

According to PMLP, customers who are behind in their bills get reminders from PMLP, and that they should contact PMLP to verify the status of their accounts.

Maihos said that with PMLP’s new electronic meter system, anyone in arrears has the option of paying online through the PMLP payment portal. If power has already been shut down, an online payment should automatically restore service.

“If you are unsure about any aspect of dealing with PMLP, please call us,” Maihos said. “We are your neighbors and our office is located right here in Peabody. We just want you people to be careful.”

Maihos also reminded people that the 2025 edition of the popular PMLP historical calendar is now available at several locations in Peabody and Lynnfield, including the PMLP office at 201 Warren Street Ext. in Peabody, all branches of the Peabody Institute Library, Peabody City Hall, Lynnfield Town Hall, the Lynnfield Public Library, Energy Credit Union, as well as many local banks.

PMLP is the community-owned, not-for-profit electric utility serving residents and businesses in Peabody and South Lynnfield. For questions or more information about PMLP. go to https://www.pmlp.com/.