Hydro disconnection threats demanding instant payment
A caller claims to be your utility company and threatens to cut your power today unless you pay right now.
How it works
The caller says your account is overdue and a crew is on the way to disconnect your service. To stop them you must pay immediately, usually by prepaid card, gift card, or Bitcoin. Ontario's four largest utilities issued a joint warning about this during Fraud Prevention Month. Real utilities send written notices first and never demand same-day payment by gift card.
The tell: Pay today by gift card, prepaid card, or Bitcoin or lose your power. No utility accepts those or cuts you off the same day.
What to do
- Hang up and call your utility using the number printed on your actual bill.
- Never pay a utility bill with gift cards, prepaid cards, or cryptocurrency. No real utility accepts them.
- Note that Ontario has a winter disconnection ban for residential electricity customers.
Sources
If this has already happened to you, our scam recovery visit can lock down your accounts and devices. And if you are just not sure whether something is a scam, asking us is always free.