A call from your "electricity company": fake meters, band changes and token scams

A call from your "electricity company": fake meters, band changes and token scams

"Good afternoon, I'm calling from your electricity distribution company. Your area has been selected for the new prepaid meter rollout. Pay ₦45,000 today to secure yours." Or: "Your feeder is moving to Band A, and your account will be disconnected unless you pay your outstanding bill now." Or a WhatsApp message offering "discounted tokens". Electricity is a constant concern in Nigerian homes, and scammers use it. The rule: never pay for meters, bills or tokens through a caller or a personal account; check with your DisCo through the official channels on its website, your bill or its offices.

How does this scam work?

The approach usually takes one of these forms:

• The fake meter offer. A "free", "subsidised" or "fast-track" prepaid meter, if you pay a fee today to a personal account. The meter never comes.
• The disconnection threat. "You have an outstanding balance, pay now or our team will disconnect you within an hour." Sometimes a "technician" turns up at the gate.
• The tariff or band change. "Your area is changing band, you must update your account" with a fee or your details.
• Cheap tokens. A vendor on WhatsApp or social media offers electricity units at a discount. You pay and receive a fake or already-used token, or nothing at all.
• The fake inspection or "bypass" offer. Someone offers to "reduce your bill" by tampering with the meter, for a fee. Apart from being a scam, meter tampering is dangerous and illegal.

What they want is one or more of these:

1. Your money, by transfer to a personal account.
2. Your card details or OTP, to "pay online" through a link they send.
3. Access to your home, for fake technicians.

How can I tell the call is fake?

• They ask you to pay into a personal account or a fintech wallet in an individual's name.
• They pressure you to pay today, with threats of immediate disconnection.
• They ask for your OTP or card details by phone or WhatsApp.
• They do not know your account or meter number, or ask you to read it out.
• They send you a link to pay that is not your DisCo's official site or a payment channel you already use.
• The offer is too good: very cheap tokens, "free" meters for a fee, discounts for paying a caller.
• The "technician" has no verifiable ID and you were not told about a visit through official channels.

What do I do during the call?

1. Do not pay anything and do not confirm details: account number, meter number, address, card details or codes.
2. Never read out an OTP and do not install any app.
3. Hang up and call your DisCo yourself, using the customer care number on your bill, your meter documents or its official website. Ask whether there is any issue with your account, any meter programme or any band change.
4. Buy tokens only through channels you already trust: your DisCo's official channels, your bank app or recognised vendors.
5. If someone turns up at your gate, ask for ID and do not let them in until you have called your DisCo on its official number. If you feel threatened, call 112.

What if I already paid or gave my details?

1. If you gave card details or a code, call your bank now on the number on your card or in its app. Ask them to block the card and review transactions.
2. If you transferred money, ask your bank to try to recall it and flag the receiving account.
3. Call your DisCo on its official number and explain what happened, especially if the caller had your account details.
4. Keep evidence: the number, time, name used, messages, receipts and any token you received.
5. Report it to the police, at a station or through the Nigeria Police Force's National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) e-reporting portal, and to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) if you lost money.
6. If your bank does not resolve your complaint, escalate it to the Central Bank of Nigeria's consumer protection department.

And if the problem is really with my DisCo?

If you have a genuine complaint about billing, metering or disconnection, complain to your DisCo first and keep the reference number. If it is not resolved, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) regulates the sector and sets out how unresolved customer complaints can be escalated.

Frequently asked questions

Can my DisCo genuinely call me? It can contact customers, but it will not ask you to pay a caller's personal account or read out an OTP. When in doubt, hang up and call the number on your bill.

Is the prepaid meter programme real? Meter rollouts do exist, but you should apply and pay only through your DisCo's official process. Never pay a caller or a WhatsApp agent to "secure" a meter.

Someone offered me cheap tokens. Is that ever legitimate? Be very careful. Unusually cheap units are a common bait. Buy through official or well-known channels.

What about cooking gas? Similar tricks exist with fake "gas safety inspections" or cheap cylinder refills paid in advance. The same rules apply: no advance payments to strangers and no unverified visitors.

In short

A caller offering cheap meters, threatening disconnection or selling discounted tokens is usually a scammer. Do not pay or share details on the call, hang up and call your DisCo on the official number, and buy tokens only through trusted channels. If you already paid, call your bank and report it. And report the number in the NoCall spam numbers directory.