"This is the disconnection department at your electric company. Your business account is past due. A crew is on the way, and power to your building will be cut in 45 minutes unless you pay now."
Here's a hypothetical, and everyone in it is made up. Tomas (made up) owns Bramblefork Tacos (a made-up taqueria). The call came at 11:40 a.m., twenty minutes before the lunch line hits the door.
He thought about the walk-in, full of meat and produce at 38 degrees. About the card terminal going dark at noon.
The caller ID showed the utility's name. The man had his business address. He had a "balance due" of $1,186.42, down to the cents, and an account number that sounded real.
Tomas said he paid that bill. The man said the payment "bounced in our system." Then the ask: "Because of the past-due status, we can only take a prepaid card or Zelle today. Go to the pharmacy, load $1,186.42, and call me back with the numbers. I'll hold the crew."
Tomas had his keys in his hand.
Then he grabbed last month's bill off the office corkboard and called the number printed on it. Real customer service picked up in four minutes. No past-due balance. No crew. No disconnection department.
This one is active right now. On Oct. 19, 2026, KLKN reported that Lincoln Electric System (LES) in Nebraska was warning that scammers were calling its residential and business customers and threatening to cut power within hours unless they paid immediately (KLKN). On Oct. 8, 2026, KRCR reported that Trinity Public Utilities District in California had warned about callers threatening shutoffs, often within hours, and demanding prepaid gift cards, MoneyPak cards or QR-code payments, sometimes sending people to a pharmacy to buy them (KRCR).
LES says scammers have worked through local businesses in rounds, daycares in one round and nail salons in another, and that the pressure scares owners who can't afford to lose power (LES).
Red flags
A shutoff "within the hour" or "within hours." Real utilities don't demand immediate payment to avoid same-day disconnection (FTC).
Payment only by gift card, prepaid card, Zelle or another payment app, wire, crypto or a QR code. No legitimate utility asks for those (FTC, LES).
Caller ID that shows your utility's name or number. Scammers can spoof the real number (PG&E, LES).
A call-back number that plays a recording with the utility's name. LES says customers who called the scammers' number heard exactly that (LES).
Talk of a "bounced" payment, an "expired" meter, or equipment you have to pay for today (LES).
A robocall asking you to call back to make a payment (LES).
What to do
Hang up. Don't pay, and don't read out your account number, card number or bank details.
Find your last bill and call the number printed on it, or log in on the utility's own website. Don't use a number the caller gave you, and be careful with search ads, which the FTC says sometimes impersonate utilities (FTC).
Utilities give notice before a shutoff. LES uses notices on bills, door hangers and opt-in alerts, and Trinity PUD says it doesn't disconnect without advance notice (LES, KRCR).
Already paid? Contact the gift card company, payment app, bank or card issuer right away, tell them it was a scam, and ask them to reverse the payment (FTC).
Report it to your utility, at ReportFraud.FTC.gov, and to your state attorney general (FTC).
Then warn the owners on your block. LES says these callers have worked through businesses in rounds.
Tomas (made up) hangs the bill back on the corkboard, puts his keys down, and tells his cook to fire the first ticket.
Sources:
- FTC, Scammers Pretend To Be Your Utility Company: https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/scammers-pretend-be-your-utility-company
- KLKN, LES warning customers against scammers threatening to turn their power off (Oct. 19, 2026): https://www.klkntv.com/les-warning-customers-against-scammers-threatening-to-turn-their-power-off/
- KRCR, Utility scam targets Trinity County residents with threats of power shutoffs (Oct. 8, 2026): https://krcrtv.com/news/local/utility-scam-targets-trinity-county-residents-with-threats-of-power-shutoffs
- Lincoln Electric System, Beware of scams: https://www.les.com/beware-scams
- Lincoln Electric System, LES sees uptick in customers reporting scams: https://www.les.com/company/news/les-sees-uptick-customers-reporting-scams
- PG&E, Scams: https://www.pge.com/en/account/customer-service/scams.html
- FTC, What To Do if You Were Scammed: https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/what-do-if-you-were-scammed
- FTC: https://reportfraud.ftc.gov