Increasing Digital Scam Attempts Targeting Utility Customers

• Sponsored ads on search engines that lead to fake utility bill payment pages that appear authentic. 
• QR codes that link to a fake utility payment page. 
• Texts from a scammer claiming to be a utility representative, with a link to an impostor website. 
• In-person visits to a home or business from an imposter claiming to be a utility worker.

• Threat to disconnect. Scammers often contact customers claiming their utility bill is past due and service will be shut off unless payment is made immediately.  These conversations include high-pressure tactics to make a customer believe payment must be made immediately.
• Request for a prepaid card. Con artists often instruct victims to purchase a prepaid card such as Green Dot, MoneyPak or Vanilla at a nearby store, and then call them back. The scammer then asks for the card and PIN number, which grants instant access to the card’s funds. In just a few seconds, the victim’s money is gone. 

• Never purchase a prepaid card. Arizona utilities never require payment via a prepaid debit card, gift card or form of cryptocurrency. 
• Don’t fall for threats. Slow down. Scammers typically try to rush customers by threatening immediate utility shut-off. Customers with delinquent accounts receive multiple notifications well in advance – never a single notice one hour or less before disconnection.
• Call your utility to verify or log onto your online account with your pre-established credentials. If there is ever a question about the validity of an email, website or person claiming to be a utility representative, call your utility directly to confirm. Never use the call-back phone number provided by the email, website or person in question to verify billing or account information. Also, some phone scammers can mirror the actual name and number of your utility on your caller ID – a technique known as ‘spoofing’. It might look real, but don’t fall for it. In most cases, when arriving in person, employees and contractors can provide identification with a company logo.
• Call 911. Customers should call 911 if they ever feel they are in physical danger.  

• Utilities United Against Scams (UUAS), a consortium of more than 150 U.S. and Canadian electric, water and natural gas utilities and their respective trade associations, continues to raise customer awareness of common scams and new scam tactics used by utility impostors. Through its work and with the help of customer reporting, UUAS has successfully helped to take more than 14,800 toll-free numbers used by scammers out of operation as of 2024. Visit UtilitiesUnited.org for more information and tips on how customers can protect themselves from impostor utility scams. Follow along with UUAS on Twitter and Facebook, and join the conversation by using #StopScams.