Citizens Electric warns of scam

Ste. Genevieve, Mo. -- Citizens Electric Cooperative customers are being asked to stay alert for a possible phone scam. According to a company news release, a customer reported the scam to the utility's Perryville, Mo., office after someone claiming to be a Citizens Electric representative called to tell her she won a Mercedes-Benz and $2 million for paying her utility bill on time. The customer was then asked send $2,500 to claim the prizes. Citizens Electric is not offering any prize promotions. The company is asking customers to avoid possible phone scams involving prepayment or providing personal information such as credit card numbers, banking information or Social Security numbers.