The Power Shut-Off Call

The simulator

1. Step 1 of 6 First contact

   Your phone rings. The caller ID says “Power Company”.

   Incoming call

   Caller ID: Power Company

   1. Caller: “Hello, this is the disconnection department at the power company. Our records show your account is 60 days past due, with $486.20 outstanding.”
   2. Caller: “A disconnection order has been issued, and a crew has already been dispatched to your area. Your power will be shut off in 45 minutes.”

   Read this aloud

   What do you do?

   Not sure? Show a hint

   Caller ID can be faked. Have you had any letters or bills saying you’re behind?

   1. Ask how I can pay right now. I can’t be without power in this heat.

      Risky choice

      That’s an understandable reaction, and the scammers count on it. The 45-minute deadline is there to make you panic. Asking how to pay tells them you’re ready to hand over money.

   2. Tell them I’ve paid every bill, and argue until they check again.

      Better, but not the safest

      It’s natural to argue, but the caller isn’t looking at any real account, so they’ll just insist. Staying on the line gives them more time to pressure you. It’s better to hang up and check for yourself.

   3. Hang up, find my latest bill, and call the number printed on it.

      Safe choice

      That’s the safe move. The number on your bill, or in your utility’s own app, reaches the real company. If there were a problem, they’d tell you and talk through your options.

   Red flags at this step

   • A shut-off warning by phone, with a deadline in minutes
   • Caller ID showing a company name (this can be faked)
   • “A crew is already on its way”

   What's really going on

   The FTC says scammers pretend to be utility companies and “threaten to shut off your gas, electric, or water service if you don’t pay them immediately.” Utilities United Against Scams, a group of more than 150 US and Canadian utilities, says: “Legitimate utilities will reach out multiple times and offer assistance if a bill is past due.” A real shut-off doesn’t arrive out of the blue with a 45-minute warning.

2. Step 2 of 6 The ask

   Many people stay on the line, just to sort it out. The caller explains the only ways to stop the crew in time.

   Connected

   Caller ID: Power Company

   1. Caller: “Because the order has been issued, our system can’t take a normal payment. To stop the crew, buy a prepaid card at a store near you, then read me the numbers on the back and I’ll cancel the order.”
   2. Caller: “Or I can text you a barcode to pay cash at the checkout, or a code for the Bitcoin machine in the same store. Please stay on the line while you go.”

   Read this aloud

   What do you do?

   Not sure? Show a hint

   Why would your power company refuse your normal way of paying?

   1. Go to the store for a prepaid card and read him the numbers. It’s the quickest way.

      Risky choice

      Once you read out the numbers on the back of a prepaid card or gift card, the money is gone. The scammer can spend it within minutes, and it’s very hard to trace or get back.

   2. Let him text me the barcode, so I can pay cash at the checkout like a normal bill.

      Risky choice

      The barcode looks like an ordinary bill payment, but the cash goes to the scammer, not your utility. The FTC says of these barcodes: “Real utility companies don’t do that.”

   3. Hang up. A real utility wouldn’t insist on prepaid cards, barcodes or Bitcoin. Then call the number on my bill.

      Safe choice

      Exactly. The FTC says scammers “will often say you can only pay them” with things like cryptocurrency, a payment app or a gift card, and “Your utility company won’t ask you to pay any of those ways.”

   Red flags at this step

   • Only unusual ways to pay: prepaid cards, gift cards, a barcode or a Bitcoin machine
   • Being asked to read out the numbers on the back of a card
   • “Stay on the line while you go to the store”

   What's really going on

   Scammers pick payments that are fast and very hard to reverse. The FTC says fake utility callers may “send you a barcode by text or email so you can pay at a local retailer.” The barcode sends your cash to the scammer. Even if you really do owe money, the FTC says real utilities will “work with you on a payment plan and won’t try to scare you into paying immediately.”

3. Step 3 of 6 The ask

   Suppose you let him send the barcode. A text arrives while he’s still on the line.

   ?

   (318) 555-0172Text message

   This sender is not in your contacts.

   1. They wrote: POWER CO DISCONNECTION DEPT: Pay $486.20 at any store checkout within 30 min to cancel your service disconnection. Show this barcode to the cashier: [barcode] Ref: DISC-77310. Do not hang up with your agent.3:12 pm

   The caller says: “There’s a store two minutes from you. Keep me on the line while you drive.”

   Read this aloud

   What do you do?

   Not sure? Show a hint

   Look at who sent it. Is it from your power company’s usual number, or a number you’ve never seen?

   1. Drive to the store and pay at the checkout. Paying cash at a store feels safer than giving card details.

      Risky choice

      It does feel safer, and that’s why scammers use it. The cashier only scans the barcode. The money goes to whoever made the barcode, and it’s very hard to get back once it’s paid.

   2. Stop. Hang up, then call the number on my bill and ask them whether I owe anything.

      Safe choice

      That’s the right move. Your real power company can tell you in a minute whether your account is up to date. If you do owe money, you can ask them about a payment plan.

   Red flags at this step

   • A payment barcode sent by text from an unknown number
   • A 30-minute deadline
   • “Do not hang up”

   What's really going on

   Store barcodes and QR codes are real payment tools, which makes them easy for scammers to misuse. The barcode is linked to the scammer’s account, not yours. Keeping you on the phone while you drive means you never get a quiet moment to call the real company.

4. Step 4 of 6 The ask

   About twenty minutes after the call, there’s a knock at the door. Whatever you decided on the phone, someone is here.

   A man in a hi-vis vest and a cap stands on the doorstep, holding a clipboard. There’s no company name on his vest or on the pickup truck behind him.

   1. Man: “Afternoon. I’m with the disconnection crew. I’ve got an order here to shut off your power.”
   2. Man: “If you can pay the $486.20 now, cash or card, I can cancel it on the spot.”

   Read this aloud

   What do you do?

   Not sure? Show a hint

   Would a real utility worker collect payment at your door to stop a shut-off?

   1. Pay him. He’s here in person, with a vest and a clipboard, so he must be from the company.

      Risky choice

      A vest and a clipboard cost a few dollars. The FTC warns that fake utility workers may “visit you in person” and threaten to cut off your service. Any money you hand over goes to the scammers.

   2. Keep the door closed, tell him through the door that I’ll call the company, and call the number on my bill.

      Safe choice

      That’s the safe choice. The real company can tell you whether anyone was sent. If he won’t leave, or you feel unsafe, call the police.

   Red flags at this step

   • A worker who wants payment at the door
   • No company name or ID you can check
   • Arriving right after a threatening phone call

   What's really going on

   Utilities United Against Scams says fake utility contacts come by “phone calls, texts, emails, or even in-person visits.” Sometimes the caller and the person at the door work together, which makes the story feel real. If anyone at your door says they’re from a utility, keep the door shut and call the company on the number from your bill.

5. Step 5 of 6 Afterwards

   Later that day, people who paid get another call from the same “disconnection department”.

   Incoming call

   Caller ID: Power Company

   1. Caller: “I’m sorry, your payment didn’t go through our system, so the order is still active. You’ll need to pay the $486.20 again.”
   2. Caller: “Also, after a disconnection order, your meter has to be replaced. There’s a $300 deposit for the new meter.”

   Read this aloud

   What do you do?

   Not sure? Show a hint

   Can you check whether your payment “went through” without this caller?

   1. Pay again, and pay the meter deposit. I don’t want to go through this twice.

      Risky choice

      Both payments go to the same criminals. Once scammers know someone will pay, they come back with new reasons, and it won’t stop until you do.

   2. Refuse to pay again, but ask them to refund the first payment.

      Better, but not the safest

      Refusing is right, but there’s nothing to refund from a scammer. Asking keeps you talking to them, and they may ask for card or bank details “to send the refund”. Hang up instead.

   3. Hang up. Call the number on my bill, then call my bank or the card company I paid with.

      Safe choice

      That’s the right move. Your real utility can confirm your account is fine. The company you paid with may be able to help if you tell them quickly that it was a scam.

   Red flags at this step

   • “Your payment didn’t go through, pay again”
   • A new fee or deposit you’ve never heard of
   • The same caller coming back

   What's really going on

   Fake utility callers use words like “reconnect fee” and “smart meter fault” to invent new charges. Each one is another payment to the same people. The FTC says: “Act quickly if you suspect you paid a scammer. Contact the company you used to send the money and tell them it was fraud.”

6. Step 6 of 6 Afterwards

   A few weeks later, the phone rings again. This time it’s a recording about your phone and internet.

   Incoming call

   Caller ID: (318) 555-0145

   1. Recorded voice: “This is your phone and internet provider. As part of the switch to the new digital phone network, your phone line and internet will be disconnected within the next 24 hours.”
   2. Recorded voice: “To stay connected, press 1 now to speak to a technician.”

   Read this aloud

   What do you do?

   Not sure? Show a hint

   Would your provider cut you off with a recorded message and a button to press?

   1. Press 1. I don’t want to lose my phone line, and I have heard about the switch to digital.

      Risky choice

      Pressing 1 puts you through to scammers. They may ask for your card details for a “switchover fee”, or ask to connect to your computer to “fix” your internet. Both lead to losing money.

   2. Hang up and call my provider on the number from my bill to ask whether anything is changing.

      Safe choice

      That’s exactly right. If your line really is being switched, your provider will explain what happens, using a number you know is theirs.

   Red flags at this step

   • A recorded message threatening to cut off your phone or internet
   • “Press 1” to speak to a technician
   • A real change in the news, used as cover

   What's really going on

   This is the same trick for a different service. In the UK, callers pretending to be from BT have asked people to confirm their personal and payment information “so their landline could go digital”, even though Which? says the switchover doesn’t involve any fees. In Australia, WA ScamNet warns of robocalls saying “your phone and internet will be disconnected within the next 24 hours” and asking you to press 1. There are also fake energy rebate offers. Whatever the service, hang up and call the number on your bill.