NC Attorney General Josh Stein Publishes Guide to Help Prevent Senior Scams

Friday, October 13, 2023

Attorney General Josh Stein today published a revised Senior Scam Guide, available here. The guide provides a look at the common scams and tactics that scammers use to target vulnerable North Carolinians, particularly older people, and steal their money and personal information.

“Scammers rely on a tried-and-tested playbook to take advantage of hardworking North Carolinians,” said Attorney General Josh Stein. “I hope this senior scam guide will help North Carolina families understand the tactics that scammers often use and how to avoid them. It’s always easier to prevent a scam than it is to try to recover your money.”

If you think you may have been the victim of a scam or have been contacted by a scammer, report it to his office at 1-877-5-NO-SCAM or file a complaint. The Department of Justice works to hold scammers accountable and, when possible, recover your money. In 2022, his office’s Consumer Protection Division recovered more than $100,000 lost to elder fraud.

The North Carolina Attorney General’s Office provides presentations about scams and identity theft to groups of consumers across the state. To learn more or schedule a presentation, visit www.ncdoj.gov/outreach.

Duke Energy Warns of Phone Scam

Friday, November 18, 2016:  A Duke Energy representative has reported that someone is calling customers and falsely identifying themselves from Duke Energy. They are asking people to make a payment over the phone or they will cut off their power. 

Detective Mike Copeland from the Sheriff's Office urges people never to pay any bills over the phone. 

The calls come through with "DUKE ENERGY" displaying as the caller ID. May be best to just let it go to voicemail. If anyone leaves a message and are asking for some form of payment, it's a scam. Duke Energy (and most other reputable companies) would contact customers by mail for payment.