Vectren Corp : Utility payment scam resurfaces; customers urged to contact Vectren if approached

Vectren Corporation One Vectren Square Evansville, IN 47708

Aug. 27, 2013

Media contact: Chase Kelley, (812) 491-4128 or kckelley@vectren.com

Evansville, Ind. - Vectren is warning customers of a multi-state bill payment scam that is resurfacing this summer in scattered locations throughout the U.S. As part of the scam, customers receive an unsolicited phone call from a fraudulent individual claiming to be a representative for the utility company. The individual warns that the utility will disconnect the customer's energy service if the customer fails to make an immediate payment - usually within an hour.
Customers are instructed to purchase a prepaid debit card - at times referring to a "Green Dot" credit card - from a local store and call the fraudulent individual back to supposedly make a payment to the utility company. Upon calling back, the customer is asked to provide the receipt number and PIN number from the prepaid debit card, giving the individual instant access to the card's funds and the ability to immediately drain its balance.
"Vectren would never require a customer to purchase a prepaid debit or credit card in order to make a payment of any type," said Doug Petitt, Vectren's chief information officer and vice president of information technology and customer service. "We're urging any customer who is approached in this fashion to contact us immediately to verify the legitimacy of the request and discuss his/her account status."
Utilize Vectren.com's live chat option or call 1-800-227-1376 to reach Vectren's contact center, which is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Customers can also report the scam at the Better Business Bureau website, www.bbb.org/scam.

Vectren Corporation (NYSE: VVC) is an energy holding company headquartered in Evansville, Ind. Vectren's energy delivery subsidiaries provide gas and/or electricity to more than 1 million customers in
adjoining service territories that cover nearly two-thirds of Indiana and west central Ohio. Vectren's nonutility subsidiaries and affiliates currently offer energy-related products and services to customers
throughout the U.S. These include infrastructure services, energy services and coal mining. To learn
more about Vectren, visit www.vectren.com.
- end -

distributed by