Wake County man Rafael Stefan Williams accused of pulling off a $403,873 Duke Energy fraud scheme by faking online payments, hacking systems, and keeping his lights on for free.
A Wake County man tried to outsmart Duke Energy Progress, but it looks like the lights just went out on his game.
According to the Wake County Sheriff’s Office, Rafael Stefan Williams, of Richland Crest Lane in Wake Forest, is facing 15 felony charges after allegedly defrauding Duke Energy out of more than $403,000 in unpaid services and fake online credits.
Court documents say Williams was running a whole operation — using computers, phones, and tablets to trick the system into thinking his bills were paid when they weren’t.
Williams is being charged in three separate cases, each one dirtier than the last. Altogether, he’s facing:
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5 counts of Accessing Computers (F)
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5 counts of Obtaining Property by False Pretense (F)
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5 counts of Financial Card Fraud (F)
The warrants claim Williams “unlawfully, willfully, and feloniously accessed” Duke Energy’s online system, making it look like he made real payments when, in reality, he didn’t.
Investigators say Williams was out here creating false online payments and fake credit transactions that gave the illusion of accounts being settled — all while the lights stayed on.
The fraudulent amounts were no small change either:
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$100,360.93
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$100,342.13
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$100,369.30
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$100,389.30
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$3,083.39
In total was over $403,873 in fraudulent energy service, according to the warrants. Officials say Williams’ digital trickery kept his electricity flowing while avoiding real payments.
Documents reveal Williams used fabricated account info, bogus confirmation numbers, and even fake customer names to continue the scam.
The scheme allegedly spanned several timeframes between October 2023 and March 2025, showing what investigators called a “continuing pattern of fraudulent conduct.”
Williams was allegedly manipulating the system itself, using fake deposits, ATM transactions, and digital card numbers to confuse Duke Energy’s payment systems.
Duke Energy Fraud Suspect
The Wake County Sheriff’s Office served the warrants on October 9, 2025. Williams is currently sitting on a $1.3 million bond.
