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Local business targeted for scam from callers claiming to be with AEP

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A local business owner has a warning about a scam that targeted his business.

Malcolm Deshields owns The Barbecue Man restaurant on Interstate 37.

His employees got a call yesterday from someone claiming to be with the AEP.

The caller said they hadn’t paid their electricity bill and if they didn’t come up with nearly $1,000 in 45 minutes, his service would be cut off.

Deshields says he knew it was a scam but he called them back anyway.

“They wanted me to go buy these pre-paid cards, obtain those and then come back to the restaurant, call them, and give them the codes off of those cards and that would satisfy the debt that i had to them, which in all reality is non-existent,” he said.

Here’s the biggest clue that this is a scam.

You don’t pay your electricity bill to AEP.

You pay it to whoever your carrier is.

By the way, Deshields reported the incident to AEP.