RALEIGH, N.C., Aug. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Thieves posing as utility workers have robbed a number of unsuspecting homeowners in recent weeks, and Progress Energy encourages its customers and other residents to beware of scams.

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In the last several weeks, people claiming to work for Progress Energy, or in some cases for an unidentified 'power company,' have asked to enter homes by telling the homeowner they were there to conduct an energy-efficiency inspection or perform other utility-related work. Most incidents have involved elderly homeowners in rural areas. Once inside, the purported utility worker has occupied the attention of the homeowner while another person has slipped into the house and stolen valuables. In other cases, the purported utility workers have asked the homeowner to step outside the home to look at a meter or pole, and while away, another person slips into the home undetected.

Progress Energy encourages customers and others not to open their door for utility workers unless they can confirm the person's identity. Progress Energy employees carry company badges with photographs. But since ID badges, vehicle signs and clothing can be fabricated to look authentic, none of these is sufficient to assure a person's identity.

Other than in emergencies or safety-related issues, there are practically no instances when a representative of Progress Energy would show up at a customer's home unannounced and ask to enter to perform work.

If a homeowner has any doubt about the identity of anyone claiming to be a Progress Energy employee, that person should keep the door shut and locked and call the Progress Energy customer service center at 1-800-452-2777 to confirm the employee's identity and need for entry.

Progress Energy, headquartered in Raleigh, N.C., is a Fortune 250 energy company with more than 21,000 megawatts of generation capacity and $9 billion in annual revenues. The company will observe a century of operation in 2008. Progress Energy includes two major utilities that serve 3.1 million customers in the Carolinas and Florida. Progress Energy is the 2006 recipient of the Edison Electric Institute's Edison Award, the industry's highest honor, in recognition of its operational excellence. The company also is the first utility to receive the prestigious J.D. Power and Associates Founder's Award for customer service. Progress Energy serves two fast-growing areas of the country, and the company is pursuing a balanced approach to meeting the future energy needs of the region. That balance includes increased energy efficiency programs, investments in renewable energy technologies and a state-of-the-art electricity system. For more information about Progress Energy, visit the company's Web site at http://www.progress-energy.com .

SOURCE Progress Energy