In July 2025, Duke Energy representative contacted Wake County Sheriff's Office for assistance. Several accounts were opened in the names of living and deceased customers without their knowledge, totaling $495,904.62 in losses for the energy company.
After an extensive investigation, 36-year-old Rafael Stefan Williams was arrested and charged with four counts of obtaining property by false pretense valued at $100,000.00 or more; one count of obtaining property by false pretense; five counts of financial transaction fraud; five counts of accessing computers; and 19 counts of identity theft.
Williams is being held at the Wake County Detention Center.
Duke Energy said in a statement obtained by ABC11 Eyewitness News:
"We continue to support the Wake County sheriff's office in their ongoing investigation of this matter and are contacting property owners associated with these activities to update their accounts with us. We believe this issue affects a relatively small number of accounts, all of which have been identified and are being notified directly through a letter. If, however, you are ever unsure of the authenticity of a call or solicitation claiming to be from Duke Energy, you should contact Duke Energy directly to confirm."
This is an ongoing investigation.
Duke Energy is one of the largest energy holding companies nationwide, serving millions of customers in North Carolina and several other states.