The power company says my electricity will be shut off in 30 minutes unless I pay — is this real?
No — real utilities don't shut off power over a phone call, and they never demand immediate payment by gift card, prepaid debit card, crypto, or a payment app. The 30-minute countdown is the scam's engine: it's built to make you pay before you can think or check, and heat waves bring waves of these calls precisely because a shutoff feels catastrophic. Hang up and check your account yourself — through the utility's official app or the number printed on your paper bill, never the number that called you.
Educational verdict from documented scam patterns — not a live report. For a 0–100 risk score on the exact link in your hand, run the checker.
From the research desk — this pattern is one of those documented in This Week's Scam Wave, in Numbers — August 2, 2026 →