Fraudsters posing as energy company reps in Bradford/Innisfil

The phone calls come from phone numbers spoofing the Alectra number

Another day and another scam to warn you about.

This time in Innisfil and Bradford where South Simcoe Police say fraudsters claiming to be from Alectra Utilities are making the rounds.

There have been several reports to police from local businesses who were called by someone claiming to be from the utility company. The suspect says the customer’s account is overdue and if payment is not made immediately, electricity will be disconnected. The fraudulent calls come from phone numbers spoofing the Alectra number and may display the company name.

In order to protect yourself you should know:

  • Legitimate companies will never demand payment using pre-paid credit cards, gift cards, PayPal or BitCoin
  • Alectra Utilities’ credit department only makes calls Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  • Scammers tend to target small businesses, such as restaurants or beauty salons and spas 
  • Never make a payment for a charge that isn’t listed on your most recent Alectra Utilities bill 

For further details and more tips on how to identify fraudulent calls please visit https://alectrautilities.com/scams-fraud.

If you receive such a call contact police and report the incident to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre 1-888-495-8501.

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