BC Hydro customers warned of scammers impersonating agents, again
Posted May 2, 2019 11:42 am.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Scammers have long used and abused public trust in government to gather information. Now, BC’s power provider says the utility is being impersonated in fraudulent emails — again.
It’s warning customers about a scam that has popped up before. The utility says messages to your email that appear to come from a BC Hydro address could be a scammer phishing for your personal and financial information — so be aware.
The company warns it is best to be wary of every email you receive claiming to be from the utility.
RELATED VIDEO: B.C. Hydro warns customers about scam
“If you receive an email that claims to be from us that you were not expecting, or your account/billing status in the email seems incorrect, check your account on MyHydro or give us a call to verify.”
BC Hydro warned customers about the email scam last summer, but says on Twitter that it has heard “quite a few reports” of it recirculating recently.
BC Hydro is also reminding you that it doesn’t offer refunds or credits through Interac e-transfers, and recommends taking note of the Interac info for Power Smart programs, which is the only legitimate Interac email you would receive from its agents.
We're hearing quite a few reports of new scam emails that spoof a BC Hydro email address. Please note: we won't send you emails about "misappropriate billing" and ask for your banking info for a refund. This is a scam. Learn more & spread the word: https://t.co/wmlJHAc2Ma pic.twitter.com/HS5otXUAEp
— BC Hydro (@bchydro) May 2, 2019
Because scammers are armed with technology that can redirect communications to fool your caller ID and email services, it’s safer to be cautious.
If you have any concerns or questions, BC Hydro says you’re always welcome to give their customer service representatives a call.
