GAHANNA, Ohio, March 31, 2020 — In the wake of COVID-19, customers need to be prepared for an uptick in scam attempts. This is a particularly vulnerable time for many people including senior citizens, low-income residents and understaffed small businesses.

“AEP Ohio wants our customers to be aware that this can happen to anyone and know to stop a scammer in their tracks. Unfortunately, scammers will use any situation to take advantage of people,” said Katie Grayem, AEP Ohio director of customer experience. “Scammers are skilled at using fear and anxiety to create confusion. They use that confusion to trick people into sending them money.”

Here’s how customers can keep their personal information safe during these uncertain times:

• Check your account status online or call us at (800) 672-2231 if you’re contacted about a late payment.

• Make payments only through AEPOhio.com or with an authorized AEP Ohio agent.

• Watch for callers posing as an AEP Ohio representative.

• Connect with us on social media. We monitor the latest threats and alert customers through our Facebook and Twitter accounts.

If customers are ever in doubt, they should hang up the phone and call AEP Ohio immediately. An AEP Ohio employee can let them know if we’ve contacted them about their bill.

For more information visit AEPOhio.com/StopScams.

About AEP Ohio

AEP Ohio is based in Gahanna, Ohio, and is a unit of American Electric Power. AEP Ohio provides electricity to nearly 1.5 million customers. News and information about AEP Ohio can be found at AEPOhio.com.

American Electric Power, based in Columbus, Ohio, is focused on building a smarter energy infrastructure and delivering new technologies and custom energy solutions to our customers. AEP’s more than 18,000 employees operate and maintain the nation’s largest electricity transmission system and more than 219,000 miles of distribution lines to efficiently deliver safe, reliable power to nearly 5.4 million regulated customers in 11 states. AEP also is one of the nation’s largest electricity producers with approximately 32,000 megawatts of diverse generating capacity, including about 5,200 megawatts of renewable generation. AEP’s family of companies includes utilities AEP Ohio, AEP Texas, Appalachian Power (in Virginia and West Virginia), AEP Appalachian Power (in Tennessee), Indiana Michigan Power, Kentucky Power, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, and Southwestern Electric Power Company (in Arkansas, Louisiana and east Texas). AEP also owns AEP Energy, AEP Energy Partners, AEP OnSite Partners and AEP Renewables, which provide innovative competitive energy solutions nationwide.