Alert: Hydro-Québec warns of a wave of fraud
Alert: Hydro-Québec warns of a wave of fraud
Hydro-Québec is warning customers: a wave of scams targeting consumers is currently circulating via email, text messages, phone calls, and in-person visits. The scammers’ goal is to obtain personal or financial information—or even to steal money.
The company reminds customers that its official communications never include links to websites and that it never requests credit card numbers or banking information via email, text message, or phone. Furthermore, no refunds or compensation are issued through these channels, even following a power outage or service interruption.
The reported cases of fraud take various forms:
- Phishing texts and emails urging recipients to request a refund or correct an invoice.
- Fraudulent phone calls demanding payment to avoid service interruption.
- Door-to-door visits by individuals posing as Hydro-Québec employees or partners.
- Fake job offers requiring payment to process an application.
To protect yourself, Hydro-Québec advises you never to reply to suspicious messages, not to click on questionable links, and to verify information directly on the official website. Victims of fraud are encouraged to forward suspicious messages to the Canadian Centre for Cybersecurity, notify Hydro-Québec at Surveillance.Fraudes@hydro.qc.ca, and contact the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
