Scammers Who Pretend to Be Your Utility Company: Warning Signs
If someone you did not expect calls, texts, emails or comes to your door saying they are from your gas, electric or water company, and threatens to shut off your service unless you pay them, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says it is a scam. Real utility companies won't demand immediate payment to avoid same-day disconnection. The FTC says to hang up and to contact your utility yourself, using the number on your bill or the company's website.
What the official pages say
The FTC consumer page about scammers who pretend to be your utility company starts with a plain rule: if you get an unexpected call, text, email, or in-person visit from your gas, electric, or water company "and they threaten to shut off your service unless you pay them, it's a scam." The same page explains the goal behind the threat: "These scammers want to scare you into paying before you have time to confirm what they're telling you. But real utility companies don't do this."
The threat and the time pressure
The utility page says these scammers threaten to shut off your gas, electric or water service if you don't pay them immediately. The general FTC page on how to avoid a scam describes the same pressure: "Scammers want you to act before you have time to think," and on the phone they "might tell you not to hang up so you can't check out their story." Its answer is short: "Honest businesses will give you time to make a decision. Anyone who pressures you to pay or give them your personal information is a scammer."
How they ask to be paid
The way the money is demanded is another sign. The utility page says scammers often insist you can only pay by wiring money through a company like Western Union or MoneyGram, with cryptocurrency, through a payment app, or with a gift card, because "it's hard to get your money back" with these methods. The page is direct: "Only scammers say you can only pay one of those ways. Your utility company won't ask you to pay any of those ways."
The caller ID may not be real
The general FTC page warns that scammers "use technology to change the phone number that appears on your caller ID. So the name and number you see might not be real." The USAGov page on imposter scams adds that caller ID can be used to make a call look like it comes from an official government or business number, and that scammers may pretend to be from your bank or "a company you do business with."
How the pages suggest checking
- End the contact. If someone threatens to shut off your service unless you pay on the spot, the utility page says to hang up, not to click any links or respond to the message, and not to let a visitor "pressure their way into your home."
- Contact the company yourself. Use "the number on your bill or the company's website," and, as the general page also says, do not call a number they gave you or the number from your caller ID.
- Be careful with search results. Top results "are often paid ads, which dishonest businesses sometimes use to impersonate real utility companies." The page suggests you "Scroll to the unpaid search results to help make sure you have the right number or website."
- Keep personal details to yourself. The general page says honest organizations won't call, email, or text to ask for your personal information, like your Social Security, bank account, or credit card numbers.
- Talk to someone you trust. The general page suggests telling a friend, a family member or a neighbor what happened, because talking about it could help you realize it's a scam.
Where to report it
If you spot a utility scam, the utility page says to report it to your utility company, online or by calling a number you know is real, to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and to your state attorney general.
The illustration on this page is only illustrative: one adult in a backyard holds a green garden hose while water sprays in an arc toward plants along a dark wooden fence; water is one of the services these callers threaten to shut off.
What is not covered or depends on the situation
These pages describe common warning signs and do not decide whether a particular call, message or visit was genuine. What to do after paying a scammer depends on how you paid, and the utility page points to the article "What To Do if You Were Scammed" for those steps. If you are actually behind on your utility bills, it refers you to a separate article, "Getting Utility Services: Why Your Credit Matters," about your options, which these pages do not describe.
Where to look next
For the full set of warning signs and reporting steps, read the FTC page on scammers who pretend to be your utility company on the official consumer site, consumer.ftc.gov.
About this page
This page is general information drawn from official pages, not an assessment of your situation; a question about a personal situation belongs with an independent attorney.
VisaNow.AI is not a law firm and does not give legal advice. This page is general information taken from official government pages; it does not assess anyone's case. An attorney-client relationship arises only with an independent attorney. Check the official pages for current details.
Information current as of 2026-11-05