Stay Alert to Scams

Utility scams are on the rise! Scammers are aggressively targeting utility company customers with sophisticated tactics to pocket quick cash. Tampa Electric has partnered with more than 150 gas, electric and water utilities to stay up-to-date on the most commonly used scams to help you protect yourself.

While scammers are always looking for new tricks, here are their most common tactics:

• The caller pretends to be a Tampa Electric employee and insists your account is delinquent. Caller ID may even falsely display our number and appear to be Tampa Electric.
• The caller threatens to turn off power to your home or business if payment isn’t made immediately.
• The caller demands immediate payment only with a prepaid card or wire transfer and provides a call back number that mimics our customer service line.
• Increasingly, the scammers are asking you to download and use a payment app. Some even request payment through cryptocurrency.

If you suspect a scam phone call – hang up

If you receive a suspicious text – delete it

If you get a visitor without official Tampa Electric identification – shut the door

All Tampa Electric team members and contractors working for Tampa Electric are required to carry photo identification cards. If someone claiming to be a Tampa Electric representative visits your home or business, request to see an ID badge or call the company to verify his or her identity. If you are uncertain about an individual’s association with Tampa Electric, please contact the company for verification at 888-223-0800.

Remember these tips to stop scammers in their tracks:

• Tampa Electric will never call to ask for credit card or debit card numbers.
• Be wary of anyone demanding payment over the phone for a power bill.
• Never give credit or debit card information over the phone.
• Know what you owe. Reference your most recent bill or log into your online account to check your account status.

Imposter websites:

We’ve seen an increase in unauthorized websites that pretend to be Tampa Electric or a third-party payment system for Tampa Electric.  Before making any payment, be sure you’re on a legitimate website. If not, scammers may take your money and disappear! 

Here are some tips from the Better Business Bureau: 

• Look closely at the domain name.  If you find a spelling error in the domain name, you’re not on the official site and it’s best to close the tab. 
• Watch out for tricky subdomains.  Sometimes attackers hope you will confuse a subdomain with the real domain name of their website. For example, a scammer might use the domain name netflix.com.movies.com hoping you won’t notice the real domain name is actually movies.com.
• Check the design quality.  Low quality visuals, odd layouts, and poor web design can all be warning signs of a fake website.
• Pay attention to contact information and shop policies. Legitimate online sites should provide a physical address and working phone number in the contact section
• Do a search for reviews and potential scams.  If you still can’t tell if a website is real or fake, try typing the website name along with the word “scam” or “reviews” into your web browser. If other people have been victims of a fake site, you’re likely to find reports when you search for scams.

More helpful information about utility scams:

• Common scams and signs - Utilities United Against Scams
• Spoofing scams are spiking – TECO news release

Please share this information with friends, business owners and members of your family, especially the elderly, who are often victimized by scammers.

If you have been a victim of a scam or were contacted by a scammer, please report it to us via the form below and contact your local law enforcement or Crime Stoppers at 800-873-TIPS.