RICHMOND — As holiday spending ramps up, Dominion Energy is urging customers to be on alert for a rise in utility scams. The warning comes as new federal data shows Americans lost more than $12.5 billion to fraud in 2024.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, fraud losses climbed 25% from the previous year, driven largely by imposter schemes and increasingly sophisticated tactics that pressure consumers into making fast, untraceable payments. FTC officials say a growing number of victims reported being contacted through email, text, or social media, where scammers can easily mimic trusted companies.
Those same tactics are now being used to impersonate utility workers. Scammers often threaten immediate disconnection and demand payment through digital apps, cryptocurrency, or gift cards, something the company says it would never do.
Utility scams typically follow a familiar pattern. A caller claims a customer’s bill is overdue and insists service will be cut unless the customer pays right away using a prepaid card, digital wallet or bank transfer. The FTC says scammers favor these methods because they are nearly impossible to reverse once the money is sent.
To help customers avoid falling victim, Dominion Energy is offering several reminders:
- The company will never threaten immediate disconnection.
- Dominion does not accept payments through gift cards, Venmo, Cash App, Zelle or cryptocurrency.
- Customers should hang up and call the number on their official bill if they doubt a caller’s legitimacy.
- Dominion will not ask for banking login information or require customers to make payments from links sent by text or email.
Federal regulators say imposter scams were the second-costliest fraud category last year, with losses totaling nearly $3 billion. Claims involving fake utility representatives remain a persistent subset of those cases.
Customers who encounter suspicious calls or messages should report them to ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to the company’s customer service department.
For more tips on avoiding and reporting utility scams, visit dominionenergy.com/scams.
