2018 was a record year for BC Hydro, but not in a good way.
Fraudsters posing as BC Hydro employees were 50% more successful in their attempts to steal money in 2018 than 2017. As a result, it left BC Hydro customers out nearly $45,000.
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Since the scams gained momentum in 2014, “BC Hydro has received nearly 6,000 reports of customers being contacted by scammers – and more than 2,000 of those, the highest number recorded in one year, occurred in 2018” reads a statement.
The most targeted communities were:
- Vancouver
- Nanaimo
- Surrey
- Vernon
- Burnaby
- Richmond
However, the electric utility company says the fraudulent activity has been reported province-wide.
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BC Hydro Fraudsters
The scams involve fraudsters contacting customers by phone, email or text and threatening immediate disconnection if a payment is not received.
To avoid disconnection, “customers are asked to purchase pre-paid cash or credit cards, or deposit money into a bitcoin ATM. Once the fraudsters receive the credit card information or bitcoin currency, the customer is out hundreds if not thousands of dollars”.
To prevent such scams from happening in the future, here’s what BC Hydro wants its customers to know:
- It does not collect credit card or bank account information over the phone, by email or text, and it does not accept payment from pre-paid cash or credit cards, or bitcoin.
- If an account is in arrears, BC Hydro will send several notices by mail and use an auto dialer to remind customers to make a payment. Customers can also check their account status at any time at bchydro.com.
- If a customer doubts the authenticity of the call, they should hang up and call BC Hydro immediately at 1-800-BCHYDRO.
If you do suspect any fraudulent activity, contact your local police department and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.
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