Utilities Cutoff Scam

Good morning and welcome back to Fraud Fridays! Today we will discuss the utilities cutoff scam! This scam is not dissimilar to any other phishing scam but revolves around your precious utilities! This scam is relatively simple, so it'll be short.

You get a call from someone claiming to be from your utilities company. They tell you that your payment is late, and your utilities will be cut off shortly. The scammer will then demand that payment be sent immediately to stop your utilities from being shut off. The scammer will usually ask for payment via gift cards, although they may ask for payment in other ways, such as Western Union or bitcoin. This is, of course, a scam. Not dissimilar to the IRS tax scam, the scammer relies on fear mongering and speed to convince you to give them money before you catch on. To clarify, your utility company doesn't want you paying with gift cards or bitcoin. This may surprise you, but they tend to prefer funds like cash, check, or electronic payments. You know, like a reputable company.

Thank you for stopping by for this bite-sized Fraud Friday, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!