A website claiming it could help homeowners and businesses start, transfer, or cancel electric and gas service has drawn warnings from Tennessee electric cooperatives after reports that deposits collected through the site did not reach a utility.
WSMV reported that Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation warned members about a potential online scam involving people seeking new electric or gas service.
The site claimed it could “help homeowners and businesses start, transfer, and cancel electricity and gas services quickly and easily with reliable support and a simple process,” according to Cumberland Electric’s warning.
The cooperative said that service appears to be false and told members to work directly with their electric co-op when starting, stopping, or changing service, making payments, or paying deposits.
The Site Claimed It Could Start or Transfer Service
Stay alert. A potentially fraudulent website is collecting deposits from people trying to start new electric or gas service.
— Duck River Electric (@DuckRiverEMC) June 12, 2026
The warning centers on a third-party website, not an official utility portal. WSMV reported that Cumberland Electric learned of the potential scam after the site appeared to collect online deposits from people trying to arrange utility service.
Duck River Electric issued a separate warning about the same type of site and described it as a page claiming to arrange electric and gas service for customers.
Duck River Electric said at least one Tennessee electric cooperative reported that funds collected through the site never reached the utility.
Duck River Electric Listed the Website’s Red Flags
View this post on Instagram
Duck River Electric said the suspicious site had several warning signs, including no business address, inactive links, and hidden ownership information.
The co-op warned customers not to use third-party websites to start electric service or pay deposits. It told members to apply for service through its official website and make payments only through its secure online portal, mobile app, automated phone system, or offices.
Anyone who may have submitted payment through the suspicious site was told to contact the co-op immediately.
The Co-Op Group Reported the Site
Duck River Electric said its statewide organization, the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association, reported the site to the domain registrar.
The association also filed complaints with the Federal Trade Commission and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, according to Duck River Electric.
Neither WSMV nor the cooperative warnings reported an arrest. The public warnings also did not identify a confirmed total dollar amount lost by customers.
Customers Are Being Told to Use Direct Utility Channels
Cumberland Electric told members not to rely on third-party websites or services that claim they can arrange electric service on someone’s behalf.
“When starting, stopping, or changing your electric service, making payments, or paying deposits, always work directly with your electric co-op,” the utility said in the warning quoted by WSMV.
Cumberland Electric also told customers to be careful if someone unexpectedly appears at a home claiming to be a utility worker. The co-op said members should ask for identification and verify the visit before allowing access to the property.
The FTC warns that utility scammers may pose as electric, gas, or water companies and pressure customers to pay through a fake link, phone number, or website. For new service, transfers, deposits, or payments, customers should use the utility’s official website, verified app, bill number, phone system, or local office instead of a third-party page found through a search result, ad, text, or social-media link.