02/09/2023
This evening, Middle Tennessee Electric was made aware of a scam attempt in the Murfreesboro area.
Two men approached an elderly homeowner this afternoon posing as MTE subcontractors; they said the member's electric meter was sparking and was a severe fire hazard. The scammers gained entry into the member's house, claiming they needed to inspect the home's electrical outlets. After a supposed inspection, the scammers demanded $17,000 to repair the problem. When the member said she didn't have that much money on hand, the scammers instructed her to call her bank, and they would be back to collect the money. The member called MTE to confirm the supposed contractors and was told they were fake. The scammers returned while the member was speaking to MTE. They confronted the member, realized they were discovered, and then fled in a red pickup truck. These scammers have not yet been apprehended, but the member has filed a police report with the Murfreesboro Police Department.
Thankfully, the member was not harmed. This was an outrageous and potentially dangerous situation; MTE takes the safety of our members very seriously.
MTE is currently changing some meters in the Murfreesboro area, but members will be notified when their meter is due to be changed. Any service technicians doing this work will provide MTE identification. Any MTE employees who come to a member's home will be in uniform and will present their MTE identification. They will be driving service vehicles with MTE markings and identification on them. MTE employees and technicians will not ask to enter a member's home.
If you have any questions about a technician or the reason for a visit to your home, please call 877-777-9020; a Member Service Representative will be able to confirm the technician’s identity and the reason for the service call.
We are asking all members who read this post to please share it to warn other MTE members in the Murfreesboro area of this scam. Thank you.