The town of Marion announced today that National Grid is warning its customers of a new, nationwide utility bill scam.

According to National Grid, in the past several days many customers have received telephone calls from individuals claiming to work for National Grid. These scammers demand payment through a pre-paid card on past due balances for electric accounts, and threaten customers that their service will immediately be shut-off for non-payment.

In some cases, the caller also tells the customer that they may have a faulty meter that is dangerous and in need of replacing for a substantial fee, reports National Grid. The electric meter is the property of National Grid. Customers are not responsible for meter replacement costs. Callers are then directed to purchase a pre-paid card to make an immediate payment in order to keep their power on.

National Grid does contact customers with past due balances by phone to offer payment options, but never demands direct payment over the telephone.

Customers who have received calls demanding immediate payment through a pre-paid card or who have billing questions should call the Customer Contact Center. Customers in this area can call 1-800-322-3223.