Authorities continue scam investigation

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - Alabama Power officials said a scam offering to pay peoples bills is continuing to spread in our area despite recent warnings.  

A lot of people would probably like to have some help with their bills, but Carla Frank just didn't believe the offer her neighbors told her about.

"They said I could go to an agency and submit (bills to be paid), whether it's my utility bills. They even said as far as the rent, and of course I didn't believe it," Frank said.

More than 50 Alabama Power customers in the area have fallen victim to con artists who claim there is government grant money available to pay bills.

Rico Washington said someone recently tried to get him involved in the scam.

They were set up at a tent on Telegraph Road.

"They told me if I provided my account number along with my routing number of my checking account that they would be able to put my water bill paid, and I would just have to pay a processing fee,” he said.

Washington said he wasn’t willing to hand over that information.

 No. No, I'm not giving my checking account information to anybody," he said.

Some people claim their bills were paid, but Alabama Power officials said that's not likely.

"A lot of the transfers are electronic transfers that basically have bounced back, because they're not good. The account that we've been given to receive the funds for is not a good account," Alabama Power spokesperson Beth Thomas said.

Maecheryl White used information she received from a family member to pay her elderly mother's power bill online. She said after she entered the required information the site indicated the bill was paid. But when she called Alabama Power later, she got the bad news.

"Alabama Power said, ‘No, there had been no activity on the account,’" White said.

But the news could be even more distressing for people who turn over their cash and personal information to the phony agencies

If you have any questions about the phony offer, you can call Alabama Power's customer service number at 1-800-245-2244.