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Is the text saying my power will be shut off a scam?

A typical version of this message
FINAL NOTICE from your electric utility: Your service is scheduled for disconnection within 30 minutes due to an unpaid balance of $187.46. To stop the disconnection, make an immediate payment here: utility-billing-example.com/pay
Why it is a utility shutoff scam
Yes. Real utilities are required to send multiple written notices over weeks before any shutoff — disconnection is a regulated legal process, never a 30-minute countdown by text. The scam version always demands immediate payment through a link, a payment app, or prepaid cards, and it spikes during heat waves and cold snaps when losing power feels most frightening.
What to do
Do not pay through the link. Call the number printed on your actual utility bill, or log into the account you already have, and check the balance — it will not match. Utilities take payment through their own billing systems, never through gift cards or texted links. Report the text to your utility; most have a fraud address for exactly this.

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Checked by Double Check on August 31, 2026. This page documents a widely reported scam pattern; the example wording is representative, with links and personal details replaced. See more in the scam guide or recent answers.