Rick Ohrt of the Vinton Municipal Electrical Utility reports receiving two phone calls today, one from Windsor Manor and one from the Vinton Lutheran Home. Both callers told the customers that their electric bill was past due and power would be shut off today.

"They are trying to scare the elderly, trying to scam them," says Ohrt. "Fortunately they called us."

Anyone receiving such a call should realize that the caller is not from the local utility.

Ohrt says neither person who received a call today was able to tell where the call came from. He also said that is is the utility's policy to contact those who are late with payments welll before they are in danger of being disconnected.