Beware! TGSPDCL alerts consumers about electricity bill payment scams in Hyderabad

TGSPDCL CMD Musharraf Faruqui issued a statement appealing to consumers not to believe fraudulent calls or messages on electricity bill payment

Hyderabad: Scamsters are targeting many electricity consumers in the city asking them to pay their bills, threatening that if they did not, their power supply would be disconnected. The scamsters sent messages to many consumers over WhatsApp on Thursday as well, threatening that their power supply would be disconnected after 7.30 pm due to last month’s bill not being updated. A WhatsApp number was also shared asking consumers to call that number.

Worried consumers raised the issue with energy department officials, following which TGSPDCL CMD Musharraf Faruqui issued a statement appealing to consumers not to believe fraudulent calls or messages on electricity bill payment.

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“It has come to our notice that some persons were sending fraudulent messages to electricity consumers. They are collecting the details of bank account / credit card / debit card and withdrawing the amounts from the consumer’s accounts illegally,” he said.

“Messages from the TGSPDCL contain department name, USC / service number, consumer name and the bill amount. The TGSPDCL never sends messages from mobile numbers,” he stressed.

The TGSPDCL employees never collect details of bank account / debit card / credit card except the payment receipt bill. Also, the company cannot send any website links through SMS/message for payment of bills. It informs the details of current month bills and arrears through the electricity bill to the consumers. Consumers can access the information of current consumption bills and arrears through company website www.tgsouthernpower.org or TGSPDCL mobile app. More importantly, the company cannot disconnect the power supply overnight or midnight, he added.