![Police are continually reminding people not to fall victim to Internet scams.](https://www.netnewsledger.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/fraud-protection.jpg)
Thunder Bay, ON – A scam that has been circulating throughout the province has returned to target Thunder Bay Restaurants and customers. Today, Thunder Bay Hydro has begun to receive new reports from local restaurants regarding phone calls from people claiming to be from the ‘termination’ department of the electric company. This time, it comes with a new twist: They are providing an 807 area code number which is answered by someone claiming to be from the “Thunder Bay Hydro Billing Department”.
Because utility companies do contact their customers by phone regarding past due accounts, these callers are taking advantage of the difficulty of knowing whether the call is real.
- Should you receive a suspicious call requiring immediate payment and you believe that you are not in arrears, ask the caller’s name and advise the caller that you will call them right back at the local Thunder Bay Hydro number (807- 343-1111) to validate the
- Payment for those in arrears will NEVER be required by pre-paid credit Thunder Bay Hydro’s website outlines all standard payment methods that can be utilized.
- Thunder Bay Hydro doesn’t use different number for it’s billing
If local customers receive a phone call from someone demanding payment that they realize is not Thunder Bay Hydro, they should gather as many details as possible and then contact Thunder Bay Police and the Canadian Anti-fraud centre: 1-888-495-8501 or info@antifraudcentre.ca.