The utility call looks suspicious. The number you search may be fake too.

The second trap can happen after you hang up

Utility scams often start with urgency. A caller claims your power is about to be disconnected, offers to reduce your bill, or says you must act immediately. Clay Electric says a scammer may know your name or address, and caller ID may even display the cooperative’s name. Those details do not prove who is on the line.

The important twist in Clay Electric’s September warning is what can happen next. A customer searches for a utility phone number, but a fraudulent listing can look legitimate and connect the customer to someone posing as the utility.

Sources: Clay Electric Cooperative

Why a search result is not proof

The Federal Trade Commission warns that scammers can use paid search results, familiar company names, and misleading descriptions to steer people toward fake phone numbers or official-looking websites. The first result on a search page is not automatically the real company.

The FBI also cautions consumers about customer-support numbers found through open-source searching and notes that sponsored results can be boosted through search advertising. A search result, an AI-generated answer, and caller ID are useful clues, but none authenticates the person asking you for money.

Sources: Federal Trade Commission · FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center

How to verify a utility call safely

End the incoming call before checking anything. Do not stay on the line while the caller tells you how to verify the claim.

1. Use a source you already trust.

   Open the utility’s official app, use a bookmarked official website, or call the number printed on a real bill. If you know the company’s web address, type it directly.

2. Check the account itself.

   Look for an actual balance, delinquency notice, or service alert in the official account portal. A caller’s threat is not an account record.

3. Ask about the exact request.

   When you reach the utility through a known-good channel, describe the call and ask whether the company made it. Do not reuse a callback number from the caller or message.

4. Treat unusual payment methods as a stop sign.

   Clay Electric warns about gift cards, wire transfers, and payment apps. The FTC says utilities do not demand those methods to prevent immediate shutoff.

Sources: Clay Electric Cooperative · Federal Trade Commission

If you already paid or shared information

If you sent money, contact the bank, card issuer, payment app, wire service, or other payment provider immediately. Tell them you were tricked by an impersonator and ask whether the transaction can be stopped, reversed, or refunded. Recovery is not guaranteed, but the FTC recommends acting quickly.

If you shared a password or account credentials, change them through the real service and change any reused passwords. Review recent account activity and secure the email account connected to your utility or financial accounts.

Keep the caller ID display, voicemail, text, search-result screenshot, payment receipt, and other records. Report the contact to the real utility and to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

If a suspicious call or text includes a phone number, PhoneYa can show available complaint data and screened community reports. That adds context, but it cannot prove who called. Caller ID can be spoofed, and a number found in a search result can itself be part of the deception.

Sources: Federal Trade Commission · Clay Electric Cooperative