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Electricity bill SMS: “power will be disconnected tonight” is a scam

Treat it as a scam. Messages saying your electricity will be cut tonight because last month's bill was not updated, and telling you to call an “electricity officer” on a mobile number, are a long-running fraud. Power companies such as MSEDCL say they never send these from personal numbers, and the Electricity Act requires at least 15 clear days' written notice before supply is cut for non-payment. Do not call the number or install any app; check your bill in your power company's official app or website.
A row of electricity meters with dials and kilowatt-hour counters mounted in a meter cupboard
Photo: geralt on Pixabay

If you get a power disconnection message

Tap each one as you check it.

What the fake electricity message says

The message arrives by SMS or WhatsApp. It says your supply will be disconnected at 9:30 pm because your previous bill was not updated, and gives a mobile number for an “electricity officer”. Fact-checkers and power companies have flagged versions of it across India since at least 2022.

Example. Names and numbers are made up.

How the trick works

MSEDCL, Maharashtra's power distribution company, says the messages go even to people whose bills are paid or who have no connection at all. Those who call are told to pay online, sent a payment link, or asked to download software that gives the caller access to the phone or computer, and their bank balance is then taken.

In one case in Jalandhar in 2022, a 66-year-old retired officer who called the number was asked to pay ₹100 to update his record and to install a remote support app from the Play Store. He lost more than ₹1 lakh. Why those apps are dangerous is explained in Screen-sharing app scams.

How real power companies contact you

MSEDCL says it sends SMS only to customers who registered their mobile number, from sender IDs such as VM-MSEDCL and VK-MSEDCL, and that its messages never ask you to contact an individual's mobile number, share a bank OTP or download software. In May 2026 Maharashtra's Directorate of Information and Public Relations repeated the warning.

The law also rules out the “tonight” threat. Section 56 of the Electricity Act, 2003 lets a supplier cut power for unpaid charges only after giving not less than fifteen clear days' notice in writing.

Signs it is a scam

  • Threatens to cut your power tonight
  • Comes from or names a 10-digit personal mobile number
  • Asks you to call an “electricity officer”
  • Sends a payment link or asks you to install an app
  • Asks for a small fee to “update” your record

What your power company does

  • Gives written notice at least 15 clear days before a cut
  • Sends SMS from a registered sender ID, not a mobile number
  • Lets you check dues in its own app or website
  • Never needs your bank OTP
  • Never asks you to install software to pay a bill

How to check your electricity bill safely

  1. Ignore the number in the message. Do not call it back or reply.
  2. Open your power company's official app, or type its website address yourself, and check your dues with your consumer number.
  3. If something looks wrong, call the helpline printed on your paper bill or listed on the official website.
  4. Pay only inside the official app or website, or through a payment app you already use, never through a link sent to you.

If it already happened

  1. If you paid through their link or shared card details or an OTP, call your bank now on the number on your card and block the card and UPI.
  2. If you installed an app at their request, disconnect from the internet, uninstall it, and change your net banking password and UPI PIN from another device.
  3. Check your bank statement for payments you did not make and report each one to the bank.
  4. Report the number and message on Chakshu at sancharsaathi.gov.in, and keep screenshots.
  • Call 1930The national cyber fraud helpline. Call within hours if money left your account.
  • cybercrime.gov.inFile a complaint online and keep the acknowledgement number.
  • Chakshu on Sanchar SaathiReport a fraud call, SMS or WhatsApp number.

Questions

Can the electricity board cut my power the same night for an unpaid bill?
No. Section 56 of the Electricity Act, 2003 requires at least fifteen clear days' written notice before supply is cut for non-payment.
How do I know a message is really from my electricity company?
Real messages come from a registered sender ID, not a personal mobile number. MSEDCL, for example, uses IDs such as VM-MSEDCL. If in doubt, check your account in the company's own app.
Do electricity offices call or message from mobile numbers about bills?
MSEDCL says no SMS or WhatsApp messages about disconnection are sent from personal mobile numbers, and its messages never ask you to contact one.
I paid a small amount through the link they sent. What now?
Call your bank straight away and block the card or UPI you used, then watch your statement for other charges. If you also installed an app, uninstall it and change your banking passwords.

Realr has nothing to do with your electricity bill, but when you deal with a stranger online, you can ask them to prove who they are with a Realr check before you pay.

Ask them to verify

Sources

Checked against the sources above on 17 October 2026. By Manav Sharma, Marketing Team, Realr. This is general guidance, not legal advice.

Ask them to prove who they are, before you pay or meet.

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