Utility shutoff call scam: is that call real?
Editorially reviewed · Last updated September 8, 2026
Yes — this is a scam. A rushed shutoff threat from an unverified caller is a scam warning. Contact your utility through the number on your own bill.
Exhibit · Phone call
“This is a final notice from City Power and Light. Our records show your account is past due and your service is scheduled for disconnection within 30 minutes. To avoid shutoff, press 1 now to make an immediate payment, or stay on the line to speak with billing.”
Other versions you might get: The same threat comes by text or email, sometimes with a live “agent” who tells you to pay by gift card, prepaid debit card, a payment app, or crypto — or to meet someone in person with cash.
What to do right now
- Hang up. Don't press 1, don't give your account or card details, don't stay on the line.
- Call your utility independently using the number on your own bill or its official website. Ask about the balance, notices, and any disconnection risk; do not assume the account is fine.
- Do not pay the caller. Verify accepted payment methods with the utility independently. Some utilities accept prepaid cards or authorized retail payments; that does not authenticate a caller or a barcode they send. Never send merchant gift-card codes to resolve a shutoff threat.
- Report it at reportfraud.ftc.gov and tell your utility so they can warn other customers.
- If you already paid or shared a card, call your bank or card issuer now to stop or reverse the charge, and change any password you gave out.
Reduce the risk of another scam
Hang up and verify the claim through a number you find independently. If you paid or shared account details, start with what to do after a scam. Blocking and reporting can reduce unwanted contact, but they cannot stop every attempt or tell you how the sender found you.
● Public service · free steps first
Reduce unwanted calls
Start with call blocking and your phone or carrier's filtering options. The Do Not Call Registry covers sales calls from companies that follow the rules; it does not block scammers.
- Add your number to the Do Not Call RegistryFree registration tells telemarketers not to call, with exceptions. It does not stop illegal scam calls or prevent the sale of your number.
- Report the call to the FTCHelps regulators go after the operations behind the robocalls.
Decide what protection you need
Start with the free controls above. Compare what a paid service would add only after deciding which problem remains.
No purchase needed. How we use evidence.
Frequently asked
Will my utility company really shut off my power in 30 minutes over the phone?
The caller ID shows my utility company — doesn't that prove it's them?
They want me to pay with a gift card or an app to keep my power on — is that normal?
I already paid the caller — what should I do now?
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Sources
- 01Scammers Pretend To Be Your Utility Company— Federal Trade Commission
- 02Got a barcode from your utility company to make a payment? That's a scam— Federal Trade Commission
- 03Report fraud to the FTC— Federal Trade Commission
- 04What To Do if You Were Scammed— consumer.ftc.gov
Pass it on
Help protect someone else
If this could have fooled you, it can fool someone you know — a parent, a friend, the family group chat. It's safe to forward, and stands on its own as a record for a bank or the police.