Consumer Rights · Scam Alert · September 28, 2026
Key Facts
- Where: Lamoille, in Bureau County, Illinois. Deputies were called there in the week before September 28.[1]
- What he wanted: a man claiming to be an Ameren employee asked a resident for personal information and Ameren bills.[1]
- What the resident did: gave out no information and recorded video of the encounter.[1]
- Ameren’s rule: branded clothing is not proof. Ask for a badge, then close the door and call Ameren Illinois at 1-800-755-5000.[2][3]
- Know him? The Bureau County Sheriff’s Office is asking for help identifying the man: 815-875-3344, or a tip through the sheriff’s office app.[1]
A man knocked on a door in Lamoille, Illinois, said he was from Ameren and asked to see the resident’s Ameren bills and personal information. The resident said no and filmed him. Now the Bureau County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents that the man is an alleged scammer going door to door, and it has released his picture.[1]
What Happened in Lamoille
According to the sheriff’s office, deputies were called to Lamoille last week for a report of a man impersonating an Ameren employee. Deputies said the man was asking for personal information and Ameren bills from a resident. The resident did not give out any information and took a video of what happened.[1]
What the Scam Looks Like
This is what the scam looks like from the doorstep. It is drawn from the sheriff’s account: who the man claimed to be, what he asked for, and how the resident responded.
- 1Looking the part is not proof. Ameren Illinois says simply wearing Ameren-branded clothing is not enough, and that impostors display Ameren's name or logo in person. Ask to see a badge.
- 2He asks for your bill and personal information. That is exactly what deputies say the Lamoille visitor wanted. Ameren says no one should ask you, unprompted, for anything to do with your utility bill.
- 3Nobody booked this visit. Ameren's advice applies when someone shows up without a previously scheduled appointment.
- ✓The right move: refuse, record, verify. The Lamoille resident gave no information and took a video. Ameren says to close the door and call 1-800-755-5000 yourself.
Illustration built from what KWQC reports. Who the visitor claimed to be and what he asked for come from that report; the words in the speech bubbles are illustrative, not a transcript. The visitor’s clothes follow the image the sheriff’s office released (a dark green polo over a dark hooded top). No source describes the resident, so she is drawn generically. Her reply follows Ameren Illinois’ published advice.
Why a Utility Bill Is Worth Stealing
A utility bill carries your name, service address and account number. That is the kind of “personal or account information” Ameren Illinois says door-to-door scammers are after. It says they come offering fake deals or promotions in exchange for it, and don’t necessarily threaten to cut off your power.[2]
Ameren Illinois says more than 4,000 of its customers have reported being contacted by scammers since it began tracking in mid-2014, and that upwards of $140,000 has been paid to them. It says anyone can be targeted, but elderly customers and people whose first language is not English are generally more vulnerable.[2] Its flyer warns that impostors work by phone, email and in person, and may display Ameren’s name or logo to look legitimate.[3]
How to Protect Yourself
- Don’t hand over your bill or personal details at the door. Ameren Illinois says to never give out bank account numbers, usernames and passwords, credit card numbers or Social Security numbers.[3]
- Ask for the badge. If someone says they are with Ameren Illinois and there is no appointment on your calendar, ask to see their badge. A shirt or logo is not enough.[2]
- Close the door and call Ameren yourself. Use 1-800-755-5000. Ameren says its real numbers are 1-800-755-5000 and 1-800-232-2477, and that a legitimate team member “can always wait.”[2][3]
- Never pay with a prepaid card. Ameren Illinois says it will never ask for payment by Green Dot card, MoneyPak or other prepaid cards.[2][3]
- If it’s safe, do what the Lamoille resident did: refuse, and record the encounter.[1] Ameren says you can also call local law enforcement.[2] In Bureau County, the sheriff’s office is at 815-875-3344.[1]
How to Verify This Yourself
Read the original report at KWQC, which carries the sheriff’s office’s statement and image. Ameren Illinois’ own guidance is in its Scam Awareness Fact Sheet and its “Don’t Fall For Scammers Pretending to be Utilities” flyer, both PDFs on ameren.com.
References
- Jayla Louis, KWQC (September 28, 2026). SCAM ALERT: Bureau County sheriff warns of door-to-door Ameren scam. Reports the Bureau County Sheriff’s Office statement and released image. ↩
- Ameren Illinois. Ameren Illinois Scam Awareness Fact Sheet (PDF). Primary source for the red flags, the badge advice, the verified phone numbers and the scam totals. ↩
- Ameren Illinois. Don’t Fall For Scammers Pretending to be Utilities (PDF flyer). Primary source for the in-person impostor tactics and what to do if contacted. ↩
Investigative methodology: this alert was first published automatically from KWQC’s report, then revised on September 28, 2026 from the full KWQC article and Ameren Illinois’ own published scam guidance. The suspect image is the sheriff’s office’s release. The doorstep scene is a labelled illustration: who the visitor claimed to be and what he asked for come from the sheriff’s account, and the speech-bubble wording is illustrative, not a transcript.
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