Caller threatens immediate disconnection for overdue electric account
Waterloo Region, ON (October 26, 2022) – Enova Power Corp. (Enova) is warning customers of a telephone scam targeting residents and businesses in the City of Kitchener, City of Waterloo, and townships of Woolwich, Wilmot and Wellesley.
Enova has received multiple reports from customers who have received phone calls from someone claiming to represent Kitchener-Wilmot Hydro or Waterloo North Hydro. The caller threatens disconnection of electricity service if an overdue account is not paid within an hour, sometimes requesting bitcoin or cryptocurrency as a payment method. The calls are sometimes made during peak business times and to make the threat seem legitimate, the fraud artists provide a 1-800 callback number which is answered as “hydro”, or sometimes “Kitchener Hydro” or “Waterloo Hydro.”
Eight clues to identify a scam call or text:
- Enova does not disconnect with little or no notice. Customers receive multiple notices that their account is past due before disconnection occurs.
- Enova only makes collection calls to customers between 8:30 a.m. through 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Enova never calls for payment on weekends or holidays.
- The caller tells you to pay the amount through a cryptocurrency machine at a convenience store. Enova does not accept payment using cryptocurrency or at convenience stores.
- The caller identifies themselves as being from either Kitchener-Wilmot Hydro or Waterloo North Hydro without including Enova in the name.
- You are contacted via text message. Enova does not send text messages to customers.
- Enova does not accept payment using pre-paid credit cards.
- Enova does not call from a 1-800 number.
- Enova never asks for bank information over the phone.
Customers who receive a suspicious call or text should not provide any personal information including Enova, bank, or credit card account numbers or account balance, and hang up immediately.
If you have questions about your account balance, please call Enova customer care at 226-896-1010 or visit the Enova website at enovapower.com to register with My Account, Enova’s online customer portal, for up-to-date information about your account, including current and past due amounts.
For up-to-date information about this and other scams targeting Enova customers, visit enovapower.com/scams.
For information on how to protect yourself or your business against fraud, or to report a scam attempt, please visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre website.
