Key takeaways

If an unexpected caller threatens to cut your service unless you pay right now, hang up. Then call your utility on the number printed on your bill.

  • The FTC says utilities will not ask you to pay by wire transfer, crypto, payment app, or gift card.
  • No utility will text you a shutoff notice or demand crypto, the FTC says.
  • If you paid, contact the company you used to send the money straight away and report it.

Got a name, website, or phone number from the caller? Check the scam directory.

How a utility bill scam works

The FTC describes the pattern: someone contacts you by phone, text, email, or in person and says they are from your gas, electric, or water company. They threaten to shut off your service unless you pay immediately, and they insist on a payment method that is hard to reverse, such as a wire transfer, cryptocurrency, a payment app, or gift cards. The FTC notes that only scammers say you can only pay one of those ways.

A newer variant uses barcodes and QR codes. The FTC warns that callers may send a barcode and tell you to pay at a store, and an earlier FTC alert described texts with a QR code to scan at a Bitcoin ATM. In both, the money goes to the scammer, not to a utility account. The same pressure tactics appear in government impersonation scams.

In the United Kingdom, Ofgem lists a different group of energy scams: fake emails and websites that impersonate the regulator, and illegal traders who sell fake prepayment top-up cards and fake electricity keys door to door. Ofgem says it never asks for bank or personal details.

Eight warning signs

  1. A shutoff threat that expires within hours. The FTC says an unexpected call, text, email, or visit threatening to shut off your gas, electric, or water unless you pay immediately is a scam. Hang up.
  2. Payment by gift card, wire, app, or crypto. The FTC says your utility will not ask you to pay by wire transfer, cryptocurrency, payment app, or gift card, and that only scammers say you can only pay one of those ways. See gift card scams.
  3. A barcode or QR code to pay at a store or kiosk. The FTC says a utility will not send a barcode and insist you take it to a store to pay. In one FTC alert, scammers texted a QR code to scan at a Bitcoin ATM. See crypto ATM scams.
  4. A shutoff notice sent by text. The FTC says no utility company will text you about a shut-off, and legitimate utilities give written notice and offer a repayment plan.
  5. A call-back number supplied by the caller. Do not use it. The FTC says to contact your utility using the number on your bill or the company’s website.
  6. A visitor at your door pushing you to act. The FTC says not to let a person who claims to be from your utility pressure you into your home or into paying.
  7. A paid search ad that looks like your utility. The FTC warns that top search results are often paid ads and suggests scrolling to the unpaid results to find the real site or number.
  8. Door-to-door offers of cheap prepayment credit or fake top-up cards. Ofgem, the UK energy regulator, describes illegal traders selling fake prepayment top-up cards and fake electricity keys door to door, including offers of £50 of electricity for £25.

How to check a utility demand in two minutes

  1. Hang up, delete the text, or close the door. Do not click links or reply, as the FTC advises.
  2. Find a number you trust: the one on your paper or online bill, or the company’s official website that you type in yourself.
  3. Ask that number whether your account is overdue and whether any shutoff is scheduled.
  4. If you are behind on a bill, ask your utility about payment arrangements or help programs. Real utilities offer them.
  5. Tell someone you trust. Scammers want you alone and rushed.

If you already paid

Speed matters. These steps follow the FTC’s advice.

  1. Contact the company you used to send the money. That may be a gift card issuer, bank, card provider, payment app, or crypto platform. Report the fraud and ask whether the payment can be reversed. The FTC says you may be able to recover some of it.
  2. Follow the FTC’s steps by payment method on its what to do if you were scammed page. See also gift card scams and bank transfer scams.
  3. Tell your real utility using a number you know is genuine, and ask them to note the attempt on your account.
  4. If you gave account logins or ID details, change those passwords and watch your accounts.
  5. Report it officially. See the list below.
  6. Do not pay a “recovery” service. See recovery scams.

Where to report

More help from official sources

Scambaba is an independent educational project. Reporting and recovery options depend on where you live. How these guides are researched is on the editorial policy.

Frequently asked questions

Will my utility really shut off power within an hour?

The FTC says an unexpected contact threatening an immediate shutoff unless you pay is a scam. Utilities give written notice before a shutoff and offer a repayment plan, so a same-day threat by phone or text is a warning sign.

Can I pay my utility with a gift card or crypto?

No. The FTC says utilities do not ask for payment by wire transfer, cryptocurrency, payment app, or gift card, and that no utility will demand payment in cryptocurrency.

How do I check whether a bill is real?

Hang up and contact your utility using the number on your bill or the company’s website, as the FTC advises. Do not use a number given by the caller or the first search ad you see.

I paid a caller. Can I get the money back?

Possibly, if you act fast. The FTC says to contact the company you used to send the money, such as the gift card issuer, bank, or app, and report the fraud. Then report it to your utility and the FTC.

What are the energy scams in the UK?

Ofgem describes fake emails and websites that impersonate it, and illegal traders who sell fake prepayment top-up cards and fake electricity keys door to door. Ofgem says it never asks for bank or personal details.