Utility imposters are targeting customers with fake bills — the signs to watch for before you hand over your money

Utility scams aren’t new, but they’re becoming more common — and there are a few variations of them. Fraudsters often ramp up their efforts during major storms or other related events, when the thought of losing power or water is more likely to cause panic.

Utility scams are heating up

Here’s how it works: You might receive calls, texts or emails demanding immediate payment for supposedly overdue utility balances. In some cases, scammers might even show up at your doorstep, claiming to be from your local utility.

Toronto Hydro, for example, has warned of a rise in fraud cases where utility imposters threaten to disconnect the victim’s power unless they pay up. The electricity provider has seen a 50% increase in the number of fraud attempts reported in 2024 compared to 2023 (1).

Another version of this scam involves fake utility websites. You might come across one of these nefarious web domains during a Google search and are directed to a scammer posing as a customer service rep, who uses scare tactics and a sense of urgency to try to get you to hand over money or personal information.

Overall, Canadians lost more than $638 million to fraud in 2024, according to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (2). But only about 5-10% of cases are actually reported, so that number is much higher.

A ccording to data from the Angus Reid Institute, the “prevalence of phishing and fraud attempts is astounding,” with more than four in five Canadians saying they’ve been the subject of an attempt over the past two years (3).

While there isn’t specific data on Canadian utility scams, a survey by Utilities Now (4), a consumer protection resource in the U.S., found that nearly one in five (18%) Americans have been targeted by a utility scam in the past year. About one in three noticed more utility scam attempts “during major natural disasters or extreme weather events.”

About half (52%) were contacted by phone, 47% were contacted by email, 40% by text and 14% by an in-person visit. Electricity was the most targeted utility at 62%, followed by internet services (41%), gas (16%) and water (9%). Of those targeted, 33% said they lost money, with losses ranging from a few hundred dollars to several thousand (5).

Protect yourself from utility imposters

Knowing the red flags — and how legitimate utilities operate — can stop a scam before any money changes hands.

First and foremost, it's of utmost importance to familiarize yourself with your utility provider’s payment methods and procedures. For example, the Ontario Energy Board says that natural gas and electricity customers cannot be disconnected for non-payment between Nov. 15 and April 30 (6).

If someone leaves you a voicemail with a call-back number, don’t use that number. And if someone sends you a text, don’t reply to it — and don’t click on any links in the message.

“Scammers hope their message will cause you to feel so scared or excited you’ll click the link without thinking,” according to the BBB (7). “Some of these links could download malware onto your device. Others may lead you to lookalike websites where scammers hope to harvest your personal information, login ID and passwords.”