Fake Utility Company Shutoff Notice
Attack Trigger
Imminent utility disconnection threat demands same-day payment to keep power or gas on
What Attackers Want
$200–$2,000 in gift cards or wire transfer
How This Attack Works
Scammers impersonate local electric, gas, or water companies and call or email customers claiming their service will be disconnected within hours for an overdue balance. Victims are directed to pay immediately via gift cards, a payment kiosk, or a fake online portal. Real utilities never demand gift card payments or give only hours' notice for disconnection.
Red Flags to Watch For
- ✗Real utility companies never accept gift cards as a valid payment method
- ✗Demand for payment within 1–4 hours — real notice periods are days or weeks
- ✗Caller or email refuses to let you call the official number on your bill to verify
- ✗Payment portal URL does not match your utility company's official website
- ✗Caller becomes aggressive or threatens criminal charges if you question them
- ✗Contact arrives outside normal business hours
Known Malicious Domains
These domains have been associated with this attack. Never click links going to these addresses.
- utility-payment-due.comMALICIOUS
- electric-shutoff-notice.netMALICIOUS
- gas-company-disconnect.comMALICIOUS
- water-service-suspend.netMALICIOUS
Glance automatically blocks emails from domains on this list. Domain list is not exhaustive — attackers register new domains continuously.
How Glance Stops This
- Domain similarity analysis catches lookalike sender addresses at millisecond speed
- SPF / DKIM / DMARC validation flags authentication failures before you ever see the email
- VirusTotal + Google Safe Browsing checks every link in real time
- Urgency language detection scores the email higher for manual review
- Known malicious domain blocklist updated continuously from live scan data
Don't wait to get hit.
Glance scans every incoming email against 12 detection layers — including the exact tactics described above — before it reaches your inbox.
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