A text says your electric, gas or water service will be cut off today unless you pay right now. Here's how to tell it's fake, and what to do if you already paid.
It's one of the oldest scams there is, and it has moved from phone calls to text messages. A message that looks like it's from your utility says your bill is past due and a technician is about to disconnect you. Pay now, it says, or lose power, heat or water within the hour.
It's active right now. On September 15, 2026, police in Dothan, Alabama warned residents about texts pretending to come from the city's utility, sent by a “technician” and threatening that service would be cut off. Police said the texts were not from anyone with the city and told people not to reply or call the number in them. (Dothan Police Department, via Wiregrass Daily News) The scale is real, too: California's PG&E says customers reported nearly 24,000 scam attempts impersonating the utility in 2025, and lost about $301,000, an average of $590 each. (PG&E)
The FTC says utility imposters reach people by phone, text, email or even at the door, and threaten to shut off your service right away unless you pay immediately. “These scammers want to scare you into paying before you have time to confirm what they're telling you.” (FTC)
Some versions include a link to a payment page. Others give you a phone number, and the “billing department” that answers tells you how to pay. That's where the real scam happens: the FTC says these callers insist on payment by wire transfer, cryptocurrency, a payment app or gift cards, because “it's hard to get your money back when you use one of these methods.” (FTC)
A newer twist: the scammer sends a barcode by text or email and tells you to pay it at the register at a store like Walgreens, CVS or Walmart. It feels official, because those barcodes are a real way to pay some bills. The FTC's answer is blunt: real utility companies don't do that. (FTC)
Real utilities don't cut you off with one surprise text and a one-hour deadline. PG&E, for example, says it “will never send a single notification to a customer within one hour of a service interruption,” and that customers who are behind get an advance disconnection notice, typically by mail with their regular bill. (PG&E) And the FTC says that even if you do owe money, a real utility will work with you on a payment plan. (FTC) Shutoff rules vary by utility and state, so if you're unsure, check the notice on your own bill or call the number printed on it.
Act fast. The sooner you contact the company you paid through, the better your chance of stopping the money. The FTC's steps by payment type: (FTC)
Then call your real utility using the number on your bill. Tell them what happened and confirm whether you actually owe anything, so a real bill doesn't go unpaid while you sort out the fake one. Finally, report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Share the text, email or voicemail to Shieldr and get a plain-English verdict — safe, suspicious or scam — with the reasons it spotted. It's one more check before you call anyone back, not a guarantee.
Get Shieldr on the App StoreSome utilities send account alerts by text, so a text alone doesn't prove it's fake. What gives a scam away is a same-day shutoff threat, a number to call that isn't the one on your bill, or a demand to pay by gift card, wire, crypto, payment app or barcode. Check your account using the number on your bill.
Real utilities give notice before a disconnection. PG&E, for example, says it sends an advance notice, typically by mail with the regular bill, and never sends a single notification within one hour of a service interruption. Rules vary by utility and state, so check the number on your bill.
Maybe, if you move quickly. Contact the gift card company right away using the number on the back of the card, tell them it was a scam, and ask for a refund. Then report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Related: the fake DMV “unpaid ticket” text and the unpaid toll text scam, two more “pay now or else” messages, and how to check if a link is safe before you tap it.