Electricity Bill Disconnection Scam over the phone

How it looks over the phone, the red flags and what to do.

Callers pretend to be bank staff, police, a courier, a telecom officer or a relative, and they try to keep you on the line while you act. Electricity Bill Disconnection Scam is one of the ways this shows up: A message says your electricity will be cut tonight for an unpaid bill, and tells you to pay through a number, link or app to avoid it.

What electricity bill disconnection scam looks like over the phone

• A second "senior officer" who takes over the call.
• An unknown or international number, or a number that looks like a real office.
• A calm, official voice that already knows your name or the last digits of your card.

The scammer sends the same message to thousands of numbers, using the name of a local electricity board or a common power company. It includes a time that is only a few hours away and a request to contact an officer. The message looks short and official, with a customer ID that is just a few random digits.

Red flags to check on the phone call

• The message gives a disconnection time within hours.
• A private mobile number is given for an 'officer'.
• You are told to install an app or tap a link to update the bill.
• A small payment is requested to 'activate' the update.
• The caller wants you to install an app to "fix" something.
• The caller asks for an OTP, UPI PIN, card PIN or CVV.

What to do

1. Do not call the number or tap the link in the message.
2. Look at your last paid bill and payment history in the official app or website you type yourself.
3. Call the electricity board using the number on your bill if you need help.
4. Never share an OTP or PIN. No genuine staff member needs it.
5. If you already installed an app on the call, uninstall it and switch on airplane mode, then call your bank at once.
6. Tell a family member and report the number on the Sanchar Saathi portal (Chakshu facility).

Report the number on the Sanchar Saathi portal (Chakshu facility). If money moved, call 1930 immediately.

If money or a code is already gone

1. Call 1930 at once and give the amount and time of the payment.
2. Tell your bank using the number on your card or passbook.
3. Remove any app installed on the caller's advice and change banking passwords.
4. Report at https://cybercrime.gov.in with the message and screenshots.

National Cyber Crime Helpline: 1930; report at cybercrime.gov.in.

Safeavio's scam check can review the message you paste and show why it looks like urgency and fake authority, and the link check looks at the link before you open it. If an app was installed, the phone scan can point out apps outside a store. It cannot tell whether your bill is paid, so check your last bill or the official app.

Full guide: Electricity Bill Disconnection Scam: how it works, signs and what to do. Other channels: SMS, WhatsApp, fake app.

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