East Central Energy's Lynzie Kelly is always looking for opportunities to boost the Minnesota electric cooperative's scam education efforts to keep members from falling for the latest scheme.

“Scammers aren't going anywhere for sure, and ever since the pandemic, we're trying to make scam education a regular part of our marketing plan," said Kelly, public relations coordinator at the Braham-based co-op. “We need to know who's coming for them so we can get ahead of it."

National Slam the Scam Day is the conduit for the co-op's latest outreach. Designated by the Social Security Administration's Office of Inspector General in 2020 to fall on the first Thursday in March, the event is part of National Consumer Protection Week (March 2-8). The Federal Trade Commission first held that event in 1998.

While the one-day event aims to raise awareness of government imposter scams, its message and accompanying graphics and resources can be applied all year round, said Kelly.

The campaign's printable and digital resources “help us keep things streamlined and recognizable," Kelly said. “Little things like its telephone images and even the rhyming term, 'slam the scam,' always help people remember. We use every resource available to us."

Consumers reported losing more than $10 billion to fraud in 2023, a 14% increase over reported losses in 2022, according to the FTC. The top method used by scammers to reach consumers in 2023 was email, followed by phone calls and text messages.

The most common schemes reported by members in East Central Energy's 14-county, two-state area involve threats of disconnection due to past-due bills unless a member pays with gift cards.

Another version uses a softer sell. “Scammers share the 'good news' that a member has a large credit on their account, and we need to get it off our books. 'What's a good routing and account number?'"

During the COVID-19 pandemic, when scam complaints from members soared, East Central Energy member service reps tracked those calls on a spreadsheet. As the complaints began falling off, reps continued to log them—and Kelly noticed some patterns of when scammers are likely to strike.

“They want to jump on people anytime there's extreme cold or a big storm because that's when people are feeling more scattered and vulnerable," she said. “Scammers are also really busy the beginning and end of the month. We're not sure why, but we've seen a pattern."

The spreadsheet results have influenced the co-op to ramp up scam outreach on its media channels year-round. And as is common among many co-ops, ECE educates members about its disconnection practices and contact methods. In-person events at senior centers and other community venues are effective, too.

“We tell our members three simple things: Don't give out your information. Slam the scam by hanging up and contact the co-op to verify your account status."