Active threat: This scam report was verified recently. Details and tactics may still be actively used by scammers.
Scam Analysis: This is a utility impersonation phone scam. Callers claim to be from your electric, gas, or water company and threaten to shut off service within the hour unless you pay immediately — usually by prepaid card, cryptocurrency, or wire. Real utilities send multiple written notices before disconnection and never demand gift cards or crypto.
Before you reply or pay
Scammer Lookup → Search the phone number or sender email against published scam reports.
Protection guide: Government Impersonation Scams
Related guides: gift card payment scams · government impersonation calls · phone call scam red flags · report this scam.
Reported July 2026 — Consumer agencies warn of a summer surge in utility shutoff scams as heat waves drive higher electric bills and scammers exploit fear of losing air conditioning.
How This Scam Works
- Spoofed caller ID: Your phone shows your utility company’s name or a local area code.
- Urgent threat: “Your account is past due. We’re dispatching a crew to disconnect power in 30 minutes.”
- Off-channel payment: You’re told to pay by gift card, Bitcoin ATM, Zelle, or wire — not through the official billing portal.
- Secrecy pressure: Scammers may insist you stay on the line while you buy cards or visit a crypto kiosk.
- Repeat targeting: Victims who pay once are often called again with a new “reconnection fee.”
Red Flags
- Threat to disconnect service within minutes or hours
- Demand for gift cards, cryptocurrency, or peer-to-peer payment
- Refusal to let you hang up and call the number on your utility bill
- Caller cannot provide your exact account number or recent meter reading
- Contact on weekends or holidays when real utility billing offices are closed
What To Do
- Hang up and call your utility using the number printed on your bill or their official website
- Check your account by logging into the provider’s app — not using links from the caller
- Never buy gift cards or send crypto to “prevent shutoff”
- Report spoofed calls to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and on our Report a Scam form
Remember: ScamReporting.org is an independent awareness platform — not law enforcement. If you sent payment, contact your bank immediately and see our recovery steps.