All patternsScam pattern 08 of 08
The electricity cut-off
Your power will be disconnected tonight unless you call a number now.
A message of this kind
Dear consumer, your electricity will be disconnected tonight at 9:30 pm1 as your previous bill was not updated. Contact 87654321092 immediately.
What each part is doing
“disconnected tonight at 9:30 pm”
An oddly specific time makes it feel real. Boards do not warn you by SMS an hour before.
“Contact 8765432109”
A personal mobile number. A real board gives a customer service number printed on your bill.
What happens if someone acts on it
The call leads to a small payment to keep the supply on, taken through a link or a screen-sharing app.
Got a message that looks like this?
Check a messageIt runs on your phone. Nothing is sent anywhere, and nothing is kept.