Pretends to be the power company
Fake utility shut-off threat
Is a call or visit saying my power will be shut off unless I pay now a scam?
Usually yes. Utilities give notice and do not demand gift cards or crypto. Call the number on your real bill.
Almost always fake. Stop, then check by calling a number you already have.
Also searched as: electric company, power company, gas company, water bill, disconnection notice, light bill
Draft: we're still checking this page. The quotes below are word for word from their sources.
What to do
On the phone right now?
- Stop. Hang up or close the message. Don't tap anything.
- Check. Call a number you already have, like the one on your card or bill.
- Talk to someone you trust before you pay anyone.
If anyone is in danger right now, call 911.
If you already paid
- Call the company you paid through right away: your bank, card company, gift card company, or the wire or Zelle service. Ask them to stop or reverse the payment.
- Call the Justice Department's National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-372-8311, Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern.
- Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If it happened online, report it at IC3.gov too.
General information, not legal or financial advice. If you've lost money, contact your bank and report it.
How it works
1 They reach you by
- Phone call
- Text message
- Website
- In person
- Computer pop-up
2 They pretend to be
- Utility company
3 They ask for
- Money
- Personal details
- Crypto
- Gift cards
- Wire or Zelle
- Tap a link
What it can look like
Example pattern, not a real message
Pretends to be the power company. What gives it away:
- Pay with gift cards
- Pay with crypto
- Send a wire or Zelle
Warning signs
- They tell you to buy gift cards and read them the numbers. No real agency or company asks to be paid that way.
- They want payment in cryptocurrency, or tell you to use a Bitcoin machine. That money is very hard to get back.
- They push you to send a wire transfer or Zelle payment. That money is very hard to get back.
- They contacted you, then ask for your Social Security, Medicare or bank numbers.
- They want you to use their link or their phone number. Look up the real website or number yourself.
- They say you must pay right now or something bad will happen. Real organizations give you time to check.
Why we say this
Consumer Alert: AG Labrador Warns About Utility Scams Hitting Idaho
Scammers pretend to be Idaho Power. They call, email and text about fake power outages or unpaid bills. They threaten to cut off power and ask for deposits, fees and personal details. Almost 400 customer accounts have been hit.
Scammers call, email, and text customers about supposed planned outages and provide fake phone numbers for Idaho Power.
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When customers call the numbers, they’re asked to provide personal information that scammers use to change customers’ accounts.
Some customers have paid deposits and fees to scammers who are threatening to turn off customers’ power.
Idaho Power will never demand immediate or same-day payment over the phone or in person under threat of instant service disconnection.
Never pay using prepaid debit cards, cryptocurrency, money transfer apps, or QR codes, as official payments are not accepted through these methods.
If caller ID displays “Idaho Power” or “IPCO,” but the interaction feels suspicious, hang up immediately. Scammers often spoof caller ID numbers.
Consumer Alert: Attorney General Raoul Urges Consumers to Stay Warm, Stay Safe, and Watch Out for Utility Scams This Winter
Scammers pretend to be from your utility company. They threaten to shut off your heat unless you pay fast. Some show up at your door. The alert explains how to check and how to pay safely. It also says Illinois limits winter heat shut-offs.
Attorney General Kwame Raoul encourages consumers to beware of scammers pretending to be from a utility company and threatening to shut off heat if they do not receive a payment.
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Be wary of surprise or unusual contact from someone claiming to be from your utility company, and remember that your utility company will never come to your home to collect payment.
Raoul said that if consumers are visited by someone purporting to represent their utility company, they should ask to see a company identification card, close the door and call their utility company at the official phone number, which the consumers should verify independently, to ask if someone has been sent to their home.
Never click on links that were sent to your phone or email from unfamiliar sources.
Remember that your utility company will never ask you to make a payment using cryptocurrency, gift cards, or by wire transfer or peer-to-peer apps, like Zelle or Venmo.
AG Sunday Warns Pennsylvanians of Scammers Targeting Utility Customers Through Fake Websites, Advertisements, and Telephone Numbers
Scammers set up fake utility websites and phone numbers. These show up in online searches and ads. When you click or call, they say your bill is past due. They scare you into giving personal information or paying. The alert is also published in Spanish.
When a customer clicks onto the site, scammers pose as employees and make claims that payment is past due, frightening the target into turning over personal information or making payment.
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Scammers aim to frighten and pressure their targets, so if you have such an experience, cease communications immediately.
If you are ever unsure if you are communicating with a legitimate representative of your utility company, hang up the phone and call the number from your bill.
Another version of the scam involves false phone numbers that customers use for payments.
Utility companies do not require immediate payment by unconventional methods such as wire transfers, gift cards, or peer-to-peer payment apps such as Venmo, CashApp, Zelle, or others.
Scammers Pretend To Be Your Utility Company
Ameren Illinois is warning southern Illinois customers about people who knock on doors or call while claiming to work for the utility, some of whom have already been reported in the area. The company says real employees can be verified by calling Ameren directly, and that customers should never pay with prepaid cards or hand over financial details to avoid a threatened shutoff.
Scammers often pretend to be utility companies to steal your money.
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And if they show up at your door, don’t let them pressure their way into your home.
Your utility company won’t ask you to pay any of those ways.
Utility Scam
Part of Georgia's consumer guide for older adults. Con artists pose as gas or electric company staff. They call or come to your door and say you owe money and will lose service. Another version claims you must pay a meter replacement fee on a prepaid card.
Con artists pose as representatives from your local gas or electric company. They may call or knock on your door, claiming that you have an unpaid balance and that unless you pay immediately, they will shut off service.
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In another version of this scam, fraudsters, identifying themselves as utility contractors, tell consumers they have been hired to replace a meter for a fee of about $400 and insist on payment via a prepaid card in order to avoid a disruption of service.
Utility companies will not call to ask for your credit card number or bank information.
Do not trust caller ID alone to verify the identity of the caller. Many scammers use spoofing technology to make the caller ID appear with a valid company name and/or phone number.
If you think there may truly be a billing issue with your account, do not provide any information to the caller. Instead, hang up and call the phone number listed on your utility bill.
Ameren Illinois warns of utility imposters targeting southern Illinois residents
Ameren Illinois is warning southern Illinois customers about people who knock on doors or call while claiming to work for the utility, some of whom have already been reported in the area. The company says real employees can be verified by calling Ameren directly, and that customers should never pay with prepaid cards or hand over financial details to avoid a threatened shutoff.
HARRISBURG, Ill. (Heartland News) - As the holiday season approaches, Ameren Illinois is warning customers to be on the lookout for scammers posing as utility workers, including some who have reportedly gone door to door in southern Illinois.
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She explained that legitimate Ameren employees carry identification with their name and photograph, typically wear clothing with the company logo and often drive marked vehicles.
“If someone is trying to create a sense of urgency and wanting them to act quickly, that’s a red flag,” Lee said.
Ameren also warns customers never to give financial information to unexpected callers or visitors, or purchase prepaid cards to avoid a threatened service disconnection.
Customers can contact Ameren Illinois directly at 1-800-755-5000 to verify whether someone claiming to represent the company is legitimate.
Lee said people should never feel pressured to continue a suspicious conversation. They can hang up the phone or close the door.