Avista is warning customers of an ongoing phone scam.
The utility says someone is calling residents and claiming to be an Avista representative demanding immediate payment and asking for confidential information. The scammer becomes angry and tells the customer his or her account is past due and service will be disconnected if a large payment isn’t made. The scammer then instructs the customer to purchase a prepaid debit or credit card, then call back to make a utility payment. Some scammers have duplicated the Avista phone greeting and the caller ID to seem exactly like Avista.
Avista will never ask or require a customer to purchase a prepaid debit card to avoid services from being disconnected. If a customer has a past due account, he or she will receive a notification in their regular monthly billing.
If you suspect someone is trying to scam you, hang up and call the local police, or the Avista customer service line is 1-800-227-9187. (Avista Utilities)
