By Edward Lynn
Editor
EAGLE GROVE, Iowa—MidAmerican Energy has issued a scam alert warning customers not to scan suspicious QR code stickers that have appeared on electric vehicle (EV) chargers across Iowa. The company says the stickers, which claim to direct users to a payment site operated by a company called RioNadi, are fraudulent.
“This is a SCAM,” MidAmerican wrote in a statement on Facebook. “We do not partner with this company, so you should NOT scan the QR code on that sticker or provide any personal information.”
The utility said it is actively working to remove the stickers but also encouraged the public to help by reporting or removing them if spotted. There is no indication that the fraudulent stickers are linked to any official MidAmerican operations.
MidAmerican also announced a two-week outage for its EV chargers, which began May 1, as it transitions to a new payment processing partner, ChargeLab. The chargers are expected to remain offline until May 16.
“This has no correlation with the scam noted above,” the company stated. “We are sorry for this inconvenience.”
The outage, however, has sparked concern among electric vehicle users, particularly in rural areas where charging options are already limited.
“Turning these off for two weeks is an insane choice,” wrote Seth Bokelman of Council Bluffs. “If you can’t manage to hand-off to a new company without potentially stranding people, at least set them to dispense the electricity for free until the handoff is done.”
Scott Bennett of Lincoln, Nebraska echoed the concern, noting that MidAmerican chargers are the only available EV infrastructure in many towns like Clarinda, Carroll, and Fort Dodge. “You will strand people mark my word,” Bennett commented. “You really should consider putting them on free or something because this is gonna not work out well for your trust on working chargers.”
MidAmerican has not yet announced any changes to its current transition plan, but EV drivers are advised to plan ahead and explore alternate charging locations during the outage.
While there are no MidAmerican Energy EV charger stations in Eagle Grove, MidAmerican is the primary electrical utility serving Eagle Grove, and much of the surrounding area.
