Toronto Hydro warning customers of phone and email scams

Earlier this year, the Canada Revenue Agency Canadians had to warn Canadians of many phone and email scams.

Now, Toronto Hydro is having to do the same.

In a recent post to its website, the electricity distribution company stated that there are currently “number of ongoing scams targeting [its] residential and small business customers.”

According to Toronto Hydro, these scammers are contacting customers via phone, text messages, email, fake electricity bills and door-to-door visits.

Once in contact, these fraudsters threaten to disconnect customers’ power unless immediate payment is made, sometimes in the form of a pre-paid credit card or bitcoin.

Toronto Hydro says it doesn’t accept these methods of payment and will never threaten to immediately disconnect a customer’s power.

Instead, Toronto Hydro suggests that customers immediately hang up on any suspicious callers and avoid clicking any links in emails or text messages that ask for money. Further, Toronto Hydro says not to share any personal information over the phone or in-person and to compare new bills to previous ones for any alarming differences. According to Toronto Hydro, one of the notable elements in a fake bill is reference to a ‘Smart Meter Deposits’ fee, which the company says doesn’t actually exist.

Anyone who suspects fraudulent activity is asked to contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501; quote file number 844396 or the Toronto Hydro Customer Care at 416-542-8000 (open Monday to Friday from 8am to 8pm).

Source: Toronto Hydro