Electricity Bill Scam: How innocent people are being tricked into paying fraud bills
The world of scams is expanding at a rapid pace and more people are falling prey to frauds trying to exploit unsuspecting people. One such scam that is doing the rounds is an Electricity bill scam. It takes advantage of the victim’s fear of losing his or her electricity connection as well as by enticing them by claiming to offer discounts. These fraudsters talk to the victims via popular instant messaging applications and via texts.
What is an Electricity Bill Scam?
Mostly during summers, the consumption of electricity skyrockets, especially due to air conditioners. The scammers are well aware of this and they try to exploit people by demanding hefty sums of money and confusing them into paying fake bills online.
The scammer sends the user a text message or calls them claiming that their electricity will get disconnected if they don’t pay the bill immediately. To make it sound a little authentic, they give a deadline that’s just a few hours from the call or text. Just searching “Electricity Bill Scam” on Twitter will show you tons of examples of such messages.
The fraudsters also provide a fake number in these text messages asking the user to call on it to verify. They can also offer a limited-time deal of paying the bill in order to get some discount.
How to identify Electricity Bill Scam fraudsters
The con artists often create a sense of urgency while making the call or in the text. They will have a commanding tone claiming that they are a representative of your local utility company or energy provider. They will claim that the bill payment hasn’t gone through or that you have a lot of due bills. They will then threaten to shut off your electricity immediately if you don’t pay them.
Here’s what you can do to find out if you are being scammed
There are some identifiers that can help you identify scammers:
Situation 1
They will threaten to cut your power immediately without payment
Situation 2
They won’t have all details about the billing but they will throw a random but specific amount to make it sound legitimate.
Situation 3
They will most often ask you to pay the money online, immediately. It could be through UPI or even ask for your credit/debit card details
Since most of the victims are elderly, they can be manipulated into giving out details and even deduct money by using online payment modes.
What to do if you get such a call or text?
You shouldn’t indulge in a conversation as that’s the way a conman will try to threaten and create confusion. The best option is to contact your energy provider using the official contact details on the bill or on the official website to confirm billing details. You can also visit the permanent office of the energy provider to get confirmation. One should never pay an amount in haste without verifying the bill details themselves.
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