Utilities advise on email scam

Inland Northwest electric utility companies are being targeted with the latest national scam using email to send bogus energy bills.

The scam is not specific to this region and is occurring on a national level.

Avista, Inland Power and Light and Kootenai Electric have all received reports from customers receiving the phishing emails. Rather than referencing a specific utility, the emails are generic and ask customers to view their bill by clicking a link in the email and set up automatic payment plans. This is a broad scam with email addresses likely being pulled from external sources.

If you currently receive electronic bills from your utility and are unsure if the email is legitimate some quick ways to verify the accuracy of the email are to:

* Check the sender. Your electronic bill will come directly from Avista, Inland Power or Kootenai Electric, not from a generic email address.

* Before clicking on the link to view your bill, hover over the link to be sure that it is directing you back to your utility.

* Do not ever enter personal payment information if you have not logged into your account securely. Avista, Inland Power and Kootenai Electric all require a secure login to keep your personal information safe.

It is a good idea if you receive an email from a source you don't know and/or you do not recognize the sender's email address, to take the following precautions:

* Do not open the email which includes malicious links that go to compromised websites hosting malware.

* Do not respond to the request.

* Do not click on any links in the email.

* Do not open any attachments.

* Do not provide any personal information.

Scam attempts occur frequently, so play it safe. Do not provide your confidential information to anyone or fall victim to high pressure tactics for payment. If you're in doubt about an email, contact your energy provider's customer service department.

Customer service numbers are as follows: Avista, (800) 227-9187; Inland Power and Light, (509) 747-7151; and Kootenai Electric, 765-1200.