CONSUMER ALERT: The Regulatory Commission of Alaska (RCA) Consumer Protection & Information Section (CP) is providing the following information published by AARP regarding utility scams.

Utility Scams to Avoid By Deirdre van Dyk, Published December 31, 2018 / Updated January 16, 2024 / Summarized by CP (Full article in link)

1. Refunds for overpayment
Scam callers might say you’ve overpaid, and they’ll ask for bank account or credit card information to make a “refund.”
2. Free energy audits
Workers may arrive and offer to give you a free “audit” for energy efficiency in order to gain entry to your house.
3. Offers to lower energy costs
Scammers may email or do a social media post with an offer to sign you up for a government program that reduces energy bills or a charity that will help pay bills and ask for a small donation as a service charge.  The aim is to collect personal information for use in  identity theft .
4. Offers to switch service
Criminals may offer to switch services for you on the spot, pressuring you to sign a contract; or they may offer to install alternative energy equipment, such as solar panels, and mention tax benefits, saying they need your financial information to tell you how much you’ll save.
5. Charges to restore power after natural disaster
During a service outage, scammers may pose as utility workers wearing vests and carrying walkie-talkies and offer to put you on a preferred list to restore service quickly or claim they need a reconnection fee to restore service (things utilities do not do). Crooks try to lure people into giving personal information or to hand over money.
6. Investigating emergency leaks, fixing or checking equipment on your property
Scammers may knock on your door posing as utility workers telling you they need to fix what they claim is an emergency gas leak or to inspect new equipment. Scammers often follow in the wake of installations and tell customers they need to pay a fee to get the meter double-checked, often presenting it as a safety issue.
7. Impostor texts and emails
Utility impostors send out  phishing emails  or  smishing text messages  aimed at convincing you to make a payment or supply personal or financial data to sort out a service issue.
8. Fake websites
A growing scam involves online ads that appear to be from utility companies offering service or easy ways to pay, sometimes including QR codes that claim to link to payment pages. If you are looking for new service, check your state utility commission and local chamber of commerce for lists of companies that provide service.
9. Opening accounts in your name
Identity thieves use stolen personal information to open utility accounts and run up charges in the victim’s name. 

How to protect yourself
  • Stay calm. Scammers are good at making you panic. If you are told power is going to be cut off immediately, take a deep breath and remember that utilities do not cut off service without considerable advance warning. If callers demand payment immediately, that should be a red flag.
  • Call the utility’s customer service number. A representative can tell you if you are behind on a payment or if the utility tried to contact you. Contact the utility directly from the number on your actual bill, not a website or caller.
  • Beware of unusual payment requests. Utilities will never ask to be paid in  gift cards , prepaid debit cards or  cryptocurrency . Never give money to a supposed utility company worker who shows up at your house.
  • Never share personal information with a caller. Utility companies do not need your date of birth or your Social Security number; and they don’t need to know whether you are receiving Social Security. The service address is what a utility company will ask you for.
  • Ask for employee identification. Always request their employee identification number and call the utility company to verify their ID and the reason for their visit.
  • Don’t click on unverified links. Don’t click on links in a utility-related email, QR code or text message unless you’re certain it’s from the real company.
  • Notify law enforcement, your utility company, and your neighbors. If you’re being targeted, chances are others in your town are too.

What to do if you’ve been targeted in a utility scam
  • File a complaint with the FTC ( online  or at 877-382-4357) and report it to your state attorney general’s  consumer protection office ,  state’s utility commission  and your utility company.
  • Contact your bank to see if it can stop payment and put any necessary fraud watches on your account. The FTC has a  guide  with useful information on how you can try to get your money back.
  • If someone has opened a utility account in your name, call the  National Consumer Telecom & Utilities Exchange  at 866-349-3233 to get a copy of your account history and dispute any inaccurate content. You can add an extended fraud alert if you have been a victim of this scam, so companies are required to verify any account opening with you for seven years.
  • For more on utility scams: Utilities United Against Scam  s offers  information  on utility-related impostor cons on its website and in its  Consumer’s Guide to Impostor Utility Scams .


Date Issued: 1/29/2024