Mounties and BC Hydro are warning people of a new scam, which targets customers and tricks them into providing personal information to a fraudulent customer support number.
The BC RCMP and utility provider say they’ve received over a hundred reports of the scam across the province.
The scam appears to be a paid advertisement that poses as BC Hydro and urges customers to call a number to set up a new service or reconnect their service.
The RCMP notes the ads feature BC Hydro’s name but the link attached directs customers to a fake site.
“These false sites are often found online via search engines. When BC Hydro customers call the fake number, the scammers ask the caller a similar set of scripted questions which BC Hydro uses in its own contact centre to verify customer identity,” Mounties warn.
Police and BC Hydro say they are working to have the fraudulent ads and websites removed from search engines. However, in the meantime, they are urging people who may have fallen victim to this scam to reach out to law enforcement.
BC Hydro is reminding people it does not ask for credit card or banking information over the phone, email, or by text. The utility provider notes that account holders who are behind on payments will receive notices in the mail, adding it will use “an autodialer” to remind them to make a payment.
The status of your account can also be reviewed online.
People who come across this scam can report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.