A caller says your power or gas will be cut off today unless you pay immediately
A caller or text claims your electricity, gas, or water will be disconnected within hours unless you pay immediately by prepaid card or gift card. Real utility companies send written notices and never demand gift cards for reconnection.
Also known as: utility disconnect scam, electric company impersonation, fake gas company call, utility impostor scam
Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes
- 1 Call your bank or card's fraud line right now. Use the number on the back of your card — not any number from the message or caller. Ask them to stop or reverse the payment and freeze the account.
- 2 If you paid by gift card, wire, or an app (Zelle, Venmo, Cash App): contact that company immediately and report it as fraud. Acting fast sometimes recovers the money.
- 3 Report to the FBI at ic3.gov and the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. The sooner, the better.
What to do right now
- 1 Hang up and call your utility company directly using the number printed on your bill or their official website — never call back the number that called you
- 2 Real utilities send multiple mailed notices before disconnecting service — sudden calls about same-day shutoff are always a scam
- 3 Do not purchase gift cards, prepaid cards, or scan barcodes/QR codes sent to you to pay a bill — no utility accepts these methods; if a caller texts or emails you a barcode to take to a store, that is a scam
- 4 If someone comes to your door claiming to be from a utility, ask for their official ID and call the company to verify before letting them inside
- 5 Report to the FTC at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov and the FBI's IC3 at https://www.ic3.gov.
Red flags
- ⚠ Real utilities never call to demand immediate same-day payment to avoid disconnection
- ⚠ Payment is demanded by prepaid debit card, gift card, cryptocurrency, or wire transfer
- ⚠ The caller threatens disconnection within hours, creating extreme urgency
- ⚠ Caller ID may display your utility's real name — scammers spoof it
- ⚠ An AI-generated or robotic voice mimics a utility employee announcing your account is overdue
- ⚠ Some scammers show up in person wearing fake utility uniforms and demand a cash payment on the spot
Known variants
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Scammer calls claiming to be a government representative enrolling you in a federal 'bill reduction' or 'energy assistance' program. After collecting your SSN, account number, and payment to cover a 'registration fee,' they disappear without reducing your bill.
Last seen: 7/9/2026
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After threatening same-day disconnection, scammer texts or emails the victim a barcode or QR code and instructs them to bring it to a retail store so a cashier can process the 'payment.' The code routes money directly to the scammer. PG&E reported $211,000 in losses in 2026 and an average victim loss of $969.
Last seen: 7/24/2026
Sources
- FTC — Scammers pretend to be your utility company (Jun 2026)
- Utilities United Against Scams — Industry-wide awareness campaign
- BBB — Utility impostor scam alert
- AARP Fraud Alert July 2026 — Utility company impersonation summer surge
- Press Democrat / PG&E — Barcode scam has cost PG&E customers $211,000 so far this year (July 2026)
- Moneywise / Yahoo News — QR code scam costs California utility customers $211K (July 2026)